Happily Ever Afters Don't Exist
by Ven'aranar Angel
Summary: Twitch and Tail have paid dearly for their devotion to fighting in the war. Now, they must survive in a place that makes little sense to them. They have been pushed past many limits, but how will they hold out when a new opportunity opens up to them? Sequel to 'The Lies Continue'.
1. The Desert

_A.N. ~ this is the sequel to 'The Lies Continue', which was the sequel to 'Sea Of Faces'. Does that make this a grandsequel or something? Eh, anyway, I'm back and here's the third of my main story line._

_DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF STAR WARS. IT'S GEORGE LUCAS'. ANYTHING IN THIS NOT CREATED BY GEORGE LUCAS OR ANYONE WHO OWNS STAR WARS BELONGS TO ME AND I'D APPRECIATE IT IF THAT'S HOW IT STAYED._

_Only the first three chapters are prewritten, and school is starting in a few days, so I'm afraid my posting rate will drop drastically and become unpredictable. Sorry._

* * *

TWITCH'S P.O.V.

_To some people, life is a fairy tale. You have your classic villain, hero, problem and resolution. Some people think that happily ever afters exist, that they'll find their prince and life will be perfect. _

_But perfection isn't for us. Perfection is a right reserved for any gods that may be. _

_The people who think they don't have to face life's dragons and villains are the people who start out good and end up miserable. However, the people who think they can take the dragons and monsters head on will also get hurt. I would know. I'm one of them._

§ § §

NO P.O.V.

Twitch woke up to sand. Her hands dug in, probing the warmth comfortably. Then she realized that she shouldn't be in sand; she should be in a bed. The young girl sat up with a muttered curse.

"Just once, can I have a _good_ wake up call?" She grumbled. She was in her black belly top and pants, but her gauntlets were not present, nor were her guns. She did not know how she'd gotten there, or how much time had passed since she fell asleep in her bunk.

All around her, as far as her eyes could see, was sand. In the sky were two blazing suns. When she looked at her arms, she could tell the skin was starting to burn. Wherever she was and however she'd gotten there, her first priorities were to find water and shade.

She decided to go west so as to have the sun to her back for most of the following day. She had no supplies, no weapons, no nothing.

As she walked, she wondered how this had happened. Amnesia wasn't unheard of in her experience, though neither was kidnapping. She began panting soon and rolled up her pant legs.

She looked up from the fabric to see a ship. Even if it wasn't a mirage or functional, it was shelter. Unfortunately for her, it _was_ a mirage.

Her throat was parched and a headache was springing up. She couldn't last much longer, but night was falling, so the coolness would bring her some relief.

§ § §

It was around the predawn hours when Twitch decided to sleep, and roughly an hour after the suns rose when she felt something touch her shoulder. She flipped on her back while bringing up her foot, hitting the thing touching her.

"Haar'chak, Twitch! It's me!" Tail grunted. He only had his leisure clothes on.

"Oh, sorry. Are you alright?" She stood up with him and he nodded.

"Let me guess; you woke up out here with no idea where you were?" The corporal guessed.

"Basically. Yesterday, around noon. What about you?"

"That sounds right. We better find some water."

"And shelter. Then we figure out what in haran is going on."

§ § §

When they found a pool of water that wasn't a mirage, Twitch made sure to find signs of life; algae, small water bugs, things like that.

"What's got you so interested?" Tail asked.

"Just checking to be sure it isn't poisonous." She shrugged while kneeling to take a sip.

"How do you get that?"

"Stuff is living in here." She replied before gulping down the water greedily. He joined her until they'd drunk their fill.

"Could have an immunity to poison." He pointed out.

"True, but it was either drink or die. Either dehydration kills us, or poison does."

"I knew you knew what you were doing."

"And I knew you knew I knew."

"Good. Now that we're on the same page; shelter." Tail smirked.

"Agreed. Should we head north?"

"Shelter could be anywhere, but at least north means it'll eventually get cooler." They took a few last swallows before moving out, quick, but not counterproductively so.

§ § §

"They're doing well." A man said.

"I'm not impressed." Another man, fairly larger than the other, growled.

"So far, they've been given little to impress you with. Just wait until they get past the desert."

"Hmm. So, the kid was a sergeant?"

"A good one. She rarely showed signs of her age when she made decisions."

"We'll see about that later. For now, they're en route to the wreckage. Let's see how they handle the first surprise."

§ § §

Twitch and Tail were relieved and surprised to find the crashed wreckage of a Venator-class Star Destroyer. Inside, they found neither food not water. More disturbingly, they found no bodies or droids.

"This is wrong on so many levels. Do you think the Republic came back for them?" Twitch asked.

"Let's hope." She shuddered at Tail's foreboding words.

"We may as well split up and check the armouries." The girl decided.

"Okay, Sarge."

"Tail, please, not my rank." He heard the edge of pain in her voice and nodded.

"Sorry. It's easy to forget when you use that tone." She smiled before continuing.

"Now, there are two dozen armouries. Wanna take the port or starboard ones?"

"I'll take starboard. Meet you at the bridge." They didn't need to tell each other why. Getting off planet was top priority next to survival.

§ § §

Twitch had no luck finding anything of use in the port armouries. Tail, when she saw him, clearly had had no better luck.

"Not even a rifle." The corporal reported.

"Even without cartridges, spears and clubs come in handy."

"I can only imagine a shiny's expression hearing that."

"Eh, we'll see for ourselves once we get off this rock. Come on, we have climbing to do." They pried open the doors to the turbo lift. The shaft was empty, and thankfully, the actual lift wasn't above them.

"Twitch, turn around." The sergeant did so and saw what had caught Tail's attention.

"What the haran is a nexu doing in a desert?" She hissed. The predator was stalking toward them, toothy mouth wide open.

"Beats me. So, want to test what happens when something falls down an open turbo shaft?" Tail had his usual mischief back in his eyes.

"Well, I guess it's a necessary tragedy for science." They stood in front of the drop, tensing as the nexu got within jumping range. "Heerrre, kitty, kitty, kitty." Twitch softly sang.

"I don't think it counts as a house cat." Tail muttered.

"I know, but noise from prey usually revs up predators. Besides, what else do I call it? Here, giant, deadly beast?"

"Good point. You need to save your breath, after all." The nexu leapt and they dove apart. Unfortunately, the creature dug its claws into the far wall and catapulted straight back out.

"Oh, come on." Twitch snarled as she slammed a loose panel against the predator's head. Tail kicked over the eyes on the right side of the nexu's head. It clawed at his leg and gashed into the skin. He hissed in pain, limping backwards.

Twitch snatched up a jagged piece of metal that resembled a twisted broadsword. The animal leapt at her and she hopped back, luring it in.

Next time the creature jumped, she let it come on as she turned the metal parallel to the nexu's body. The sharp metal slid in and the animal froze. It's claws ripped open her arm a moment before it died. Tail helped Twitch out from under it.

"Hey, were there any blankets in the bunks?" The teenager asked.

* * *

_A.N. ~ a short chapter, I admit. Sorry about that. Don't worry, I'm posting Chapter Two ASAP. This will be the first and second last time I ask you to review. Please do so, either positively or critically. If you have any survival tips, from any environment, please let me know. I could really use them!_

**MANDO'A DEFINITIONS AND PRONUNCIATIONS: **

**Haar'chak: [HAR-chak] Damn it**

**Haran: [HAH-rahn] hell (Literally; destruction, cosmic annihilation)**


	2. The Desert, Part Two

Tail and Twitch had wrapped strips of blankets tightly around their wounds, and also taken extra sheets to cover their faces and necks, and in Twitch's case, stomach and lower back, from the sun.

The communications centre was unusable, totally and completely. They spent the day scavenging for anything useful; knives from the Mess Halls, which weren't present, comms, also not present, canteens for carrying water – nonexistent – anything.

Twitch had spent hours searching, and came up with a four-foot-long, inch-round pipe for her trouble. She was pleased with her find and now sat in the ruins of the boiler room.

She was using a slim, strong wire to tie a sharp piece of metal to the end of the pole. After a while, she had a sturdy spear. The makeshift blade of her weapon was firmly in place, and she found she could wield it easily.

The queazy feeling she always got when hungry kept her sitting for a while until she no longer felt hungry, simply hollow.

On the bridge, Twitch found Tail creating his own weapon: a sword. Twitch was amused to see the blade was the same piece of metal which she'd killed the nexu with. The corporal noticed her smirk and shrugged.

"Worked well enough last time." He reasoned.

"Yeah, though it's a pity we couldn't find any blasters."

"Ah, well. Hey, are nexus edible?" She glanced back at the shaft.

"Not sure. Are the ship's databanks functional?" He shook his head. "Hmm, well, I don't see any reason for why the meat wouldn't be safe to eat, though I'd avoid the organs."

"I was thinking that. Come on, let's get some food."

"What about any metal we use to cut? Heavy metal poisoning isn't out." The sergeant fretted as the started the long climb down, taking their weapons along. Returning to the bridge would be fruitless and illogical.

"Durasteel won't do that."

§ § §

"Impressed now?" The slim figure challenged.

"Interested. They seem to be thinking half a plan each, as though they need each other to function." The larger man crossed his arms.

"Not likely. Twitch has proven her independence too many times to count. Tail can handle independent thinking. He's done so often. Usually when Twitch is exercising said ability."

"Well, they're not thinking on the wrong lines. Challenge Three, they get split up. I want to see their 'independent thinking' for myself."

§ § §

The nexu had fed both of the marooned troopers well, and they had cooked all the meat they could find on the predator, stuffing it into makeshift blanket backpacks.

Twitch had removed all the claws and the larges fangs, knowing they could come in handy as she put them in an extra pouch made of a pillow case.

"You know what I don't get?" Tail asked as they dropped into a barrack. The door had been jammed, so they entered through the vents, thus being sure no other predators could sneak up on them.

"What?"

"That they left the blankets and pillows. They took everything but the kitchen sink and bedspreads."

"Unfortunately, that points to droids. They don't need beds, after all."

"And yet we both know they would've left the bodies."

"Exactly. Or maybe they're coming back. Either way, we better get some sleep before nightfall." They rolled onto bunks of their choice and lay there, lost in their own thoughts.

TWITCH'S P.O.V. (FLASHBACK/DREAM)

I'm held in a containment unit. We all are. My distress over the battle that landed us here has not left. Spitfire was gunned down right in front of me.

She was about to make a joke; I could tell from the smirk on her face and the posture of her body as she moved to walk backwards in front of us, hands spreading out to the sides.

Then, several rounds from a Droideka that had arrived, unnoticed, hit her, tearing through my sister's chest. She was dead before I caught her in my arms. Now, I watch wordlessly as Dooku gloatingly walks around the ring of his prisoners. Nine people with whom he can do whatever he pleases.

"I think I'll start with this one." The Count says, pointing to Jax. "After all, you went through so much trouble to save him in the first place." He Force-pulls a spear from the shadows, looking over the fine craftsmanship admiringly. I know why he would torture my squad members. He wants to hurt me.

"Leave them out of this. I know who you're angry at, and it's not them. Take it out on me." I snarl.

"I am." The spear flashes and a spray of blood squirts across the room.

§ § §

NO P.O.V. (PRESENT)

Tail woke up to whimpering. It took him a few moments to realize it was Twitch he was hearing. The young clone was crying in her sleep, tossing and turning. He walked over to her and gently wiped away the tears with his fingers before shaking the sergeant awake.

"Wha? Oh, Tail. Is it time to go?" She asked.

"Most likely. You alright?"

"Fine. What about you?"

"I'll be great once we clear the desert. Let's get going."

§ § §

"So, the kid has nightmares." The critic growled.

"She didn't have training against them."

"Any ideas what goes on in her head?"

"Nothing pretty. Not after what happened to her squad."

§ § §

Twitch was haunted by her nightmare, but did not mention it to Tail. He probably had his own demons to face. The corporal was carrying a large portion of the meat; the sergeant a smaller amount due to her size, along with their weapons, several metal rods, and her pouch of sharp nexu parts.

Blankets protected most of their skin from the setting suns, though their pre-wreckage travels had gotten the job done and their skin was sensitive. Once night fell, the blankets kept them warm, straight until dawn.

They then took out the rods and used the blankets to form makeshift tents. Tail slept as Twitch took first watch, then the corporal stayed awake the second half of the day.

His sister once again had nightmares. When she woke up with a start an hour before sunset, she tiredly sat and ate a few mouthfuls of nexu before crawling outside. The two nodded and packed up, preparing to leave. They had to find water soon, though.

"How's your leg?" Tail asked. She blinked slowly before remembering what he was talking about.

"Oh, um, it's alright. What about _your_ leg?"

"It's fine. Your arm?"

"Fine, but we need a better plan than this. We could be walking _away_ from water and civilization for all we know."

"Not many other choices. But, then, you already knew that."

"Yeah, just needed you to play devil's advocate."

§ § §

"Why did he ask about her leg?"

"One moment and I'll access her medical records." There was a short pause, then the aide let out a long, low whistle. "Wow. This kid's had a lot of visits to the med bay. Let's see...here. Her leg was permanently damaged during the battle of Moleen. Dealt by General Grievous, the wound partially severed her Achilles tendon. Depending on exertion, the pain in her leg varies."

"Grievous. Of course _he's_ the one who crippled a child."

"She's not exactly crippled, sir. She can still move around without the aid of any thing or one."

"Hmm. They're almost done with this challenge. Prep the team."

* * *

_A.N. ~ another short chapter! Don't worry, Chapter Three is coming up ASAP. But, it's also short, and the last of my prewritten chapters for the FanFiction, so production rate is going down after the next chapter. Too much of one word in one note. Sorry!_


	3. Transition

Twitch panted beside Tail. They needed water badly. Very badly. It may have been nighttime, but the air was brittle.

"Do you see that?" Tail asked hoarsely. The sergeant looked up and saw what had caught the corporal's eye; a figure was standing atop a dune straight ahead of them.

"Yeah, I see." She handed him his sword. "Don't attack, but be careful. We don't know who this is." The teenager took out her spear and they slowly advanced.

The person was cloaked, so they didn't know which gender or species it was. They were ten feet away when it spoke.

"You two have made it. Congratulations." Twitch and Tail exchanged glances. That voice... The person turned around.

Twitch recoiled so quickly, she tripped and landed on her back. Tail took several paces away from what he saw.

Chopper stood before them, streaks of blood marking his face and, once he removed his cloak, the black body suit covering him. He looked just as he had on that painful night.

Tears marked his skin and garment, and a bloody hole was in his throat. The Sergeant began hyperventilating, not panicking, just terrified and emotionally pained.

"Chopper?" Tail asked.

"Chopper is dead." Twitch reminded harshly, standing. "He's dead, and some sick shabuir is making us see him." Chopper chuckled.

"Oh, this is real, alright. You lacked the strength to save me. Are you strong enough to beat me?" Twitch hefted her spear, but didn't have the heart to attack.

"This is wrong on too many levels to count." Tail muttered.

"They can't possibly expect us to fight him, could they?"

"Who's 'they'?" The Corporal muttered.

"The people who I'm going to punch when this is over." Chopper darted in and kicked Twitch, moving far faster than anyone in his condition could. She staggered back, massaging her stomach.

A spark of anger ignited her will to fight, and next time Chopper moved in, she slammed the shaft of her spear against the side of his head before round house kicking his shoulder, knocking the wounded man to the ground.

Chopper sat on his folded legs, looking into her eyes challengingly. The Sergeant kicked his chest, keeping a foot on his sternum, putting his back against the ground and the blade of her spear near his neck

"I'm not beaten yet. I'm never beaten, as long as I live." Chopper cackled.

"You're beaten, because you're already dead. I watched you die, along with everyone in our squad except Tail." Twitch snarled.

"I guess that's true. Well played." Chopper disintegrated to ashes. Twitch and Tail sat down, side by side.

"That sucked." Twitch muttered.

"That was an understatement." Tail grumbled.

"Thought that went without saying." She pointed out.

"What's the point of this?" The corporal asked.

"I don't know. It depends on who's behind it. Dooku would do this for torture and possible intel gathering. The Kaminoans would do this as a test, though I can't imagine why _you'd_ be in it."

"Hey!" He gently elbowed her.

"Heh, spend a week where Kaminoans test you like an animal and tell me that's an insult. But...I haven't seen any cameras. Have you?"

"No. They're obviously watching us, though. Hmm..." They looked around nervously, but saw nothing.

§ § §

"What does that kid know about Kaminoan testing?" The bulky figure snapped harshly.

"Ten years more than anyone else. She escaped Kamino when she was ten years old. If she hadn't, it's anyone's guess what would have happened."

"So, they made her their lab rat, and she got out of her cage." One of the men accessed a computer file and paused with a small exhale of air.

"And killed three scientists to leave behind the lab. Apparently, the bounty on her head placed by Ko Sai was _just_ smaller than the one from Dooku. It was either torture or experiments." Metaphorically, rat was Twitch, the cage was the lab, and the lab was the planet.

"Is there any difference? It's impressive that she got away from Kamino and Dooku at all. What about Tail? Anything particularly notable about him?"

"He has extensive experience in leading a squad. Twitch trusted him as her second from the start. An excellent scout, strategist, and outside-the-box thinker. I'm surprised he hasn't been picked up for ARC training yet."

"You're very free with praise. Any _especially_ noticeable actions?"

"Surviving. When Dooku killed Pyro Squad, Tail somehow managed to shut down his body and appear to be dead. A lot like how Ventress did."

"That brings up the next question. How much contact have they had with Sith?"

"Tail's is the shorter list. He 'met' Grievous during the Battle of Moleen, then Dooku when his squad was wiped out."

"And Twitch?" Another pause as the aide looked up the file.

"Hai, that's a long one. Let's see... Asajj Ventress and Count Dooku when she was ten through twelve as a prisoner, multiple clashes with Ventress, as well as three duals with Savage Opress; all of which she managed to hold her own in until Jedi arrived. One of the fights lasted for nearly an hour before she had assistance. Several more occasions when she met Dooku, including his capture and when he imprisoned her..._twice_ after he escaped Republic custody."

"I see. She has a habit of being caught."

"Yes, sir. Though, she also has a habit of escaping. At this point, anything short of the Citadel isn't likely to hold her."

"I'd like to test her escaping skills in Challenge Three, then."

§ § §

Twitch and Tail had bedded down for the day. Unfortunately, when they woke up, they had one of the ruder surprises of their lives.

All that they had scavenged in the desert; food, weapons, tools, blankets, it was all gone. But what was worse, was the they were surrounded by snow and a glacial landscape.

"Oh, PERFECT!" Twitch snarled.

* * *

_A.N. ~ I must face a fact: whenever I enter Twitch's world, I will have to put up with a continuous and deep sense of self-loathing. _

Twitch: _you deserve it._

Me: _I know. Which is one of the reasons why I don't deaden my emotions every time I write. Now, readers, that was the last prewritten chapter. I don't know when the next one will be up, because I tend to have random stretches of writers block often. Until next time..._

**MANDO'A DEFINITIONS AND PRONUNCIATIONS: **

**Shabuir [SHAH-boo-EER] extreme insult ('jerk', but much stronger)**


	4. The Snowlands

_A.N. ~ sorry that it's been a while. Posting chapters takes longer when you have to write them, first. But, here's Chapter Four. Please enjoy!_

* * *

"You know," Tail said through his shivering, "I think, judging by the position of the sun, this is summer." Twitch's head snapped up to look at the sky. Snow was melting on her right arm and ribs; the result of waking up in a snow bank.

"A-are you s-serious? I'm ab-b-bout to go hypothermic and it's s-summer?!" She got out through chattering teeth. Her belly top offered very little protection against the biting wind.

The corporal stiffly walked over to her, muscles already locking from the cold, and started quickly rubbing his hands up and down Twitch's arms. The sergeant barely noticed his fingers sliding over her scars as she hugged herself, clumsily catching her side with a nail. The sting seemed far more prominent than usual, but soon went numb.

"We're going to have to find a large snow bank and make a cave." Tail decided.

"W-why?" Twitch paused. "Wait, n-never m-mind. Let's go." She started walking toward a massive dune, Tail walking upwind of her to offer the teenager as much protection from cold as possible.

§ § §

By the time the two soldiers had found and dug into a sizeable pile of snow, Tail was shivering and finding it difficult to concentrate, while Twitch was barely able to walk in a straight line or talk. Both clones had cases of hypothermia, though the former a mild case and the latter a moderate one.

"I'm 'oing tuh bed." Twitch mumbled. Tail realized she had stopped shivering and alarm bells went off inside his head.

"T-Twitch, d-don't fall as-sleep. Hypothermia." He stuttered.

"Jus a few minuse..."

**('Just a few minutes'. Hypothermia causes the victim's words to slur.)**

The corporal sighed and decided to save himself time. Wether his brain was muddled by the cold or not, the move was the same. He slapped Twitch's cheek. She sat bolt upright and looked around, her dull eyes lighting up with anger and awareness for a few seconds.

"Stay awake!" Tail ordered. "If you fall asleep, you may not wake up." Luckily for both of them, the small den was starting to warm up.

The corporal began rubbing his hands together, breathing into them, before quickly moving them up and down Twitch's right arm. The warm skin felt comfortably hot to her nerves, and the young girl leaned toward him, wishing for more. He flicked her forehead when her eyes began closing.

"Wha-at?" She whined.

"Stay awake!" Tail practically shouted.

§ § §

Twitch was leaned against Tail's chest, fitfully sleeping with his arms wrapped around her; the right around her shoulders and the other around her stomach. Her right hand rested on his knee while the left was on the corporal's left forearm. The scout's back rested against the wall farthest from the entrance. In nearly any other situation, it could be said that they were cuddling. In this case, however, they were sharing body heat.

Outside, a blizzard swirled flakes of snow into a blinding wall. Twitch was once again dreaming; this time watching as Dooku slowly killed Chopper with an ancient, rusty arrow.

Tail was just beginning to drift off when Twitch's body became ridged and a small waking gasp broke the silence. The sergeant was once again shivering, though it was unlikely she was doing so because of cold. The shelter was comfortably warm.

"Twitch?" He asked gently.

"Sorry if I woke you." She mumbled.

"You didn't. What's wrong?" The teenager shook her head.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep."

"Are you sure—"

"Tail, sleep." She cut him off sharply, tone softening on the last word.

§ § §

"You missed!"

"Well, _excuse me_ for not being a professional _icicle tosser_. _You_ try throwing a piece of frozen water!" Twitch snapped as she ran after the fleeing bird. It was flightless, apparently, but a fast runner.

The sergeant had had the brilliant idea of using massive icicles as spears to kill the animal, but had, as the conversation said, missed.

The weather had improved greatly, now being cool, yes, but warm as the sun shone down. If they had a thermometer, they would know it was approximately 2° Celsius, 35 1/2 Fahrenheit, or 275 Kelvins.

To a Canadian, it would be a ridiculous mid-summer temperature, but a wonderful mid to end-of winter thaw **(in which we would literally be walking around in our tee shirts and pants, or, like this last school year, lying in the snow on our parkas; sunbathing. Yes, we actually did that, and I enjoyed it.)**, to basically anyone who lived below Canada, it would be freezing.

At that moment, Twitch was pleasantly cool in the breeze she created for herself while running. The large bird** (it's a penguin)** jumped down a steep, large hill, sliding on its stomach.

"I didn't know anything moved like that!" Tail yelped.

"What are you slowing down for? It's getting away!" Twitch howled, diving after her prey head first. The corporal stopped at the edge, looking down at the slope nervously.

**(I stole the hill from Happy Feet, which I don't own.)**

"Ah, kriff, Twitch, you insane maniac." He groaned, leaping after his friend.

_Only _you_ would go so far to catch a fekking bird, _he thought.

Twitch, meanwhile, was sliding after the bird, arms in front of her as though she was diving. Whenever an obstacle threatened her well being, she would angle her entire body to avoid it.

The slick ice was numbingly cold as it brushed against her belly. She was moving very quickly, gaining on the bird. It started outdistancing her, however, when it used its small, narrow wings to propel forward. The teenager copied the movements.

"Get back here, _lunch_!" She hissed.

§ § §

"That kid is either crazy, brave, or very confident in herself." The small figure mused.

"Probably a bit of all three. Tail didn't seem so keen, though."

"Well, he _is_ sane. Ah, they balance each other out."

"You think so?" The tone was strange; almost challenging.

"Yes. Oh, that may leave an impressive bruise..." On the many monitors, Tail had banked too slowly and an ice chunk slammed into his shoulder.

"I have to agree with you on that." Tail got his feet in front of him and stopped his downward movement by standing on the next pieces of ice that could bear his weight.

§ § §

"Kriff, that hurts!" The corporal swore, holding his throbbing shoulder in one hand. He grabbed a handful of snow and packed it under his shirt, holding the cold substance in place.

Then, he got an idea and out more snow on his hands and face, ears, and back of neck. The powder soothed the burns he had received in the desert.

Twitch, on the other hand, was in hot pursuit of the bird. The prey went shooting off a slight rise, like an ice ramp, and landed in a snow bank at the bottom of the hill. The young sergeant went catapulting after it and landed on top of the creature.

"Gotcha!" She crowed, kneeling on the wings, holding its neck and beak down. The bird couldn't get her off, but struggled, nonetheless. "Tail, mind getting its neck with something? ...Tail?" She looked over her shoulder to see that the scout hadn't kept up with her. "Okay, then I'll just—ow!" Something had rammed into her.

She was knocked off her prey and saw that a second bird had joined the first. Now that the teenager looked around, she realized she was in a nesting ground, and a lot of parents were coming toward her.

"Haar'chak, Twitch, you di'kut! You could have seen this from the top of that ridge!" She muttered

_Kriff, this is a mess_ Hardcase _would get into! But, then, wasn't he the one Fives always compared me to?_ She mentally cursed herself.

One of the birds tried pecking her and she dodged, backing up.

Tail, from his vantage point, could see the bottom, and where Twitch rounded a corner, backing away from a small army of birds as large as she was.

"What did you do?" He called. Sixty feet below him, the sergeant looked up.

"I landed in their nesting area. I think we were chasing the leader's mate."

"Birds have leaders?" He remarked skeptically.

"Alphas, whatever! If you could throw a few pieces of ice at their heads, that would be grea—whoa!" Twitch had to duck under a beak and flip away from a wing.

The scout packed a couple handfuls of white powder into snowballs. He threw and hit one of the birds on its hip.

§ § §

"Twitch is very nimble. Even on icy ground. Has she ever been in a one-on-one?"

"Hmm...only once. She was the victor."

"Any recorded sparring matches?"

"None recorded, though I doubt she didn't practice."

"Send in the ice golems. Though, I'm also curious about her scars."

"Torture marks. When Dooku imprisoned her for two years."

"I see. Tail's shoulder seems to be broken. When they move on to Challenge Three, fix that."

"Of course."

* * *

_A.N. ~ Chapter Five may be a while, depending on my writers block level. I hope you liked Chapter Four!_


	5. The Snowlands, Part Two

_A.N. ~ hey, people, sorry that took so long. The music for the first part is 'Stamp on the Ground'. Enjoy!_

* * *

"I'm a di'kut...on so many levels." Twitch gasped, standing on a ledge in a ravine, hoping the large birds below her didn't figure out how to climb.

The sergeant raised her left arm and made to press her comm, then remembered that she didn't have her gauntlets.

_Guess that means climbing,_ she inwardly groaned.

A few minutes later, after searching for a handhold, Twitch slipped and fell off her ledge, landing winded in front of the birds,

"Okay, okay...I'll face the birds. You win, universe." She leapt to her feet and flipped away from a wing. The girl jumped and kicked the nearest bird in its chest with both feet.

She shot across the ice and turned around, bunching into a squat against the cliff face. She pushed off and shot in between the animals, sliding past the group.

She began running, quickly towards where she'd seen Tail. A bird blocked her way, and without slowing, she jumped and landed on its shoulders, diving past the animal as though it was simply a road block.

Suddenly, the ground in front of her exploded and she was thrown off her feet. The result of what had done it was a massive giant that looked to be made of ice, holding a club, climbing out from the earth. Two more of the huge creatures began climbing out of the ice as well.

Twitch backflipped out of a club's way and backed up. As the third emerged, she climbed onto its shoulder before its hands were free. The first of the giants swung at her and she jumped to the other shoulder. Her monster lost its arm, then it's other as she got on its head.

"Come on...I know you're stupid enough to do it..." She growled quietly. Thankfully, her adversary was actually foolish enough to attack again. Twitch started swinging down the spikes on the dead giant's back.

§ § §

"Are her fear levels even rising?" The bulky figure asked. The small man shook his head as he checked a monitor set apart from the rest.

"None of her emotions are rising. The most fear she's displayed or felt was when she fought Chopper...or when she sleeps."

"Those nightmares are going to be a hindrance. Has she always been this emotionally blank when fighting?" The aide took a moment to check.

"It doesn't say. We'd have to ask someone who knew her."

"There are two people who know her more than anyone besides Tail. I'd like to talk with them."

"Right away."

§ § §

"It's been a long time, sir." Two men, both the same size, walked into the dark room. Light from the monitors showed the Jaig eyes and intricate pattern of their helmets.

"And you're as formal as ever. Good to see you, Rex. And your name is Fives?"

"Yes, sir." The bigger man nodded and turned back to the monitors.

"So, I think you may want to see this..." The new arrivals glanced at each other before walking to the screens and looking at the one the bulkier man had pointed at.

"Wait, that's..." Fives trailed off. They watched as Twitch ran along a giant's arm and leapt off its club, landing on another's shoulder. It's hand reached toward her and she jumped backward, aiming to land in a snow drift.

"How safe is she?" Rex asked.

"It will feel like they kill her, but she'll be alive. The system is set to avoid deaths. So far, she's displayed very little emotion during the fight."

"How long has she been doing this?" Fives demanded. The edge of anger in his voice was unmistakeable.

"Two hours. She's quite resilient."

"That she is. But, you wouldn't have asked us here simply to watch Twitch fight." Rex reminded

"No, I was actually going to ask about her. For example..." The large man led his guests to the monitor displaying Twitch and Tail's emotions. "Every time she fights, her emotions all drop, as if they don't exist."

"Yeah, that sounds like Twitch. She sometimes lets different emotions stick around if they're beneficial or not harmful, but she usually fights with a level head." Fives explained.

"Even when she was fighting Savage with her sister in danger, she stayed calm." Rex added.

"Has she ever done anything reckless during fights?" A short spout of laughter left both men.

"Nearly every time. Really, sometimes she made Skywalker look cautious." The Captain said.

"You know, once we had to cut her out of a roggwart that had swallowed her whole. She killed it from the inside." The ARC snickered again.

"I see. Does she endanger others when she does this?"

"Not usually. She generally gets into things like that in order to protect others." They became serious again.

On one of the screens, a giant backhanded the sergeant and she went flying. For some reason, she stopped in midair, looking like she was crashing into something, and fell into a snow bank.

"What...was that?" Fives asked.

"The edge of the area. She shouldn't have hit it, but the momentum probably got her there."

"Uh-oh." The younger of the three muttered.

"What?" The large man asked.

"See that look on her face? That look means she's done playing around. Hope those ice golems weren't too important."

"_'Weren't'_?"

"By the time she has that look, most of the time her opponents are already dead." Rex elucidated. True to their words, by the time ten more minutes had passed, Twitch was the only one standing. Or, at least, breathing.

§ § §

"Ugh, whoever threw us in here owes us a few years of our lives." Twitch groaned, lying down. She was overheating and gasping for breath. "Hear that, you sick shabuirs? If you have any intention of living a long life, you better just kill me now!"

§ § §

"Her anger levels are spiking." Rex noted.

"I take it that wasn't an idle threat?"

"Well...a couple years ago, it wouldn't be, but now..." Fives said.

"Eh, she'll probably try to beat you up a little and move on. Worst comes to worst, she'll put you in the med bay for a little while." Rex shrugged.

"You seem confident in her abilities."

"Only two people have bested her in sparring matches. One a Jedi General, the other an ARC by the name of Echo. Though, when she's really angry, she can last a while." The Captain murmured.

"She only fought a Jedi-killing Sith for nearly an hour because she was so angry that he 'killed' you." Fives pointed out.

"Wether she thought I was alive or not, she would have fought him anyway."

"And how long do you think she would have lasted without something like that to motivate her."

"Back on topic?" The large man reminded.

"Right. Sorry." Rex glanced away from the monitors to look at the older man.

"According to her record, Twitch only had a single one-on-one."

"Yeah, when we had mercenaries helping out on Moleen. She somewhat...disagreed with one of them." Rex shrugged.

"She nearly cut out his tongue." Fives reminded. The large man raised an eyebrow. "That actually happened once." He added quickly.

"Hmm. Has she ever let her emotions get the better of her?"

"The first time that comes to mind is Naboo." The second said. "A man by the name of Jeph had killed and mutilated a young civilian child that she knew. I think that may have been the angriest I've ever seen her. I think her exact words were _'I may be ready to kill Jeph, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let my anger impair my judgement.'_."

"She grew up pretty quickly, then?"

Rex sighed. "I don't think she had a chance to do anything but."

§ § §

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you in like that." Twitch said as she examined Tail's shoulder. It was dark purple and swollen, most likely broken.

"I should've known I wasn't insane enough to get out unscathed." He shrugged.

"Well, it's your fault for being so reckless." Twitch crossed her arms and raised her chin importantly. "After all, you know that when I do insane things, you shouldn't follow."

"I see. Only certain levels of insanity can protect people for certain things." The corporal reasoned.

"Exactly. Now, get some snow on that and head back to the shelter. I'm going to steal an egg from that nesting area."

"You're really insane, aren't you?" Tail half smiled as he stood.

"Insane enough to have made it to fifteen." The teenager smirked as confusion, then surprise crossed her friend's face.

_What's she...is she...has she really?_ He puzzled.

"Oh, um...happy birthday?" She punched his arm and he yelped.

"Now when has any clone's birthday been given a second glance?" Twitch asked with her hands teasingly on her hips.

§ § §

The two visitors inhaled sharply and held their breaths, not making eye contact with the large man.

"Clone, huh? Hmm, you two look awfully guilty. I wonder why?" He teased.

"You know, suddenly I feel like a di'kut for not taking Twitch seriously when she said _'always have an escape plan'_." Fives muttered through the helmet-to-helmet comms.

"I'm getting that feeling. You know she's going to give us both bruises when all's said and done."

"I know. I doubt our armour is going to do much to protect us..."

"Well, it does clear some things up. I hate to poke a bruise, but how do she and Tail handle loss?" The host snapped them back to reality.

"Depends on what kind and scale. Losing Pyro Squad was definitely the worst they've experienced." Rex murmured.

"And their reactions?"

"Tail wouldn't talk and avoided people. He did his job, went to the Mess and gym like a droid following a program, and went to bed in a regular routine." Fives sighed. It was always sad to see the fight knocked out of a brother.

"Twitch was more or less the same way, though I noticed she seemed a lot angrier when she fought. She took bigger risks and spent less time shooting and more time engaging the enemy in close combat." The Captain added.

"I thought she said she wouldn't allow her anger to impair her judgement."

"I don't think that's what she did, though I do think she was taking her anger out on any droid within reach." The ARC corrected.

"So, how was the incident in Naboo different from her squad?"

"When she lost her squad, she was still experiencing her emotions and had things like droids to kill. On Naboo, it was like her feelings disappeared. She was so angry she blanked out and turned into a heartless assassin. She couldn't kill the men responsible, though, or even hurt them very much."

"Basically, she forced herself to remain impassive, or she would have likely disobeyed orders." Rex finished.

"But she was still angry. Very, _very_ angry." Fives shuddered, remembering the dead gaze she'd worn.

_Spare me the speech. This may be right, but it isn't settled, _he remembered her words and shivered again.

"Coruscant to Fives." The other guest nudged the ARC.

"Sorry. I'm back."

"Good. You don't want to miss this." Rex pointed to a monitor and Fives looked.

"You're kidding me. Is she seriously that crazy?"

§ § §

"Twitch, I can't believe what a di'kut you are!" Twitch snarled to herself. A flock of the birds were chasing after her as she ran with two eggs, each cradled in the crooks of either arm.

She began leaping up a steep hill, pushing off pieces of ice, rocks, and dips to keep moving. The birds couldn't follow and she made it to safety.

§ § §

"You're such a di'kut." Tail smirked.

"Oh, be quiet and eat your egg."

"Yes, ma'am... Ack!" Twitch had tripped him and he landed on his chest.

"Do you think I'm a ma'am out here?" She murmured while nonchalantly breaking a hole in her egg and drinking the contents.

§ § §

"He's lucky getting tripped was all she did." Fives commented.

"Wouldn't she normally hit harder with that face?" Rex mused.

"Either it's because he's injured or her brother-by-choice... He's still lucky."

"I take it that was her angry face?" The bulkier of the three asked.

"You can tell she's angry if her eyes narrow, her fingers jerk as though she's trying not to make a fist, and her right teeth clench." Fives explained.

"Only the right side?" The Captain queried.

"Yeah, not sure why. You never noticed that?"

"I was always watching her eyes and fists."

"Concentrate. I'm pretty sure I taught you how to focus." The large man looked at Rex.

"Sorry, sir. Was there anything else you wanted to ask?"

* * *

_A.N. ~ I don't have a set estimate for the next chapter. Sorry that production is slow..._


	6. Transition Number Two

_A.N. ~ hello, there. Been a while, huh? Sorry about that. So, this is Chapter Six, which I hope you'll enjoy. Bye, now!_

* * *

"Why now?" Fives murmured.

"They've proven they could survive. To move on to the next challenge, they have to find shelter, food, and water." The larger man explained.

"Makes sense." Rex commented.

§ § §

Twitch woke up and realized that she was leaning against Tail, who'd drifted off on his side. She was propped against his ribs and his back was to the wall.

The sergeant moved away quietly and stretched. She paused, blinked slowly, then looked at her arm. The fabric was still ripped, but the skin beneath was unharmed. She checked Tail's leg and saw that it was free of injury as well.

"Hmm..." She hummed suspiciously.

"Mmmph, though you were asleep." Tail grumbled, just waking up himself. He realized Twitch wasn't even touching him and shook his head in irritation at his lack of sense.

"I was, until a few seconds ago. How's your shoulder feeling?" The corporal sat up and winced.

"I think it's broken."

"Well, maybe it'll get healed if we get tossed to some other place. I just noticed our cuts from the nexu are gone." Tail quickly checked, fingering the unmarked skin.

"Huh, at least they're doing _something_ good. We better get some food." Twitch flicked a bit of powder at him.

"You should put snow on your shoulder and rest. If more ice giants show up, you couldn't outrun them with one arm."

"That hurt."

"Your life is worth more than your pride. I'll be back—oh, kriff!" She yelped. The teenager had been crawling outside and ran nose first into someone.

"Hiya, _Sarge_. Been a while." Adenn sneered.

"Let me guess. _'I lacked the strength to save you, do I have the strength to defeat you'_?"

"Basically." Tail slipped out beside Twitch. "And _he_ should have taught us that trick. The one he used to survive. It's your faults that killed us." The cruel man snarled. Acid marks covered his body. Patches of hair were missing and revealed wrinkled, red skin.

"That _really_ hurt." Tail muttered.

"We know it isn't really Adenn. He's just a fake, like how Chopper was." Twitch said.

"Is that how you see us?" Long icicles slid out of the dead man's hands.

"I get the feeling this will be like fighting a commando droid." Twitch hissed. Adenn lunged and the sergeant kicked the crook of his left arm, ducking the right before catching and breaking the limb. Rumbling filled the air and two giants started appearing.

"Uh...kriff. Tail, deal with Adenn's doppelgänger. I'll get the other problems."

"Right."

§ § §

"Making them fight their dead squad members is harsh, even for you." Rex murmured.

"They need to be able to fight against anyone. Even their dead brothers."

"Making them survive in different climates is one thing, but this I wouldn't put past Twitch to seriously hurt someone over." Fives warned.

"I'll keep that in mind."

§ § §

Twitch grabbed onto a spiky club and swung off with the forward momentum of the massive weapon's movement, landing with a foot hitting the exposed eye of a giant. She crouched and leapt onto its arm before her momentum could dissipate.

Tail was blocking and dodging Adenn's attacks. He caught one of the icicles with his right hand and used his left elbow to snap it in half. He blocked the next swing with his fallen brother's own weapon.

"How're you holding up, Tail?" Twitch called.

"Never...been better." He grunted. His right shoulder was weakening. The corporal shoved away Adenn for a momentary respite. "What about you?"

"Never been—agh!" A giant had once again managed to hit her, the massive club scratching her skin and breaking two of her ribs. She landed in a snowdrift with a short cry of pain. "Better." She finished.

"And you say _I_ couldn't outrun them." He jeered.

"Just concentrate on the abomination." Twitch struggled to sit up, but her chest flared in pain and she leaned back, pressing a handful of snow against her chest.

The belly top she was wearing clearly showed the blood from the scratches and the bruising where the bones had broken.

"Twitch, get up." Tail ordered.

"Working on it." Her voice rose in pitch as the pain of raising her voice became unbearable.

"Get up, hut'uun." The scout shouted. Twitch's eyes became slits and her right hand jerked.

§ § §

"Now she's angry." Rex mumbled.

"How fast can Tail run?" Fives flinched.

"Judging by the looks of things, Twitch's ribs are broken. She'll probably have enough adrenaline to survive the fight." The Captain estimated.

"So, he'll get to live for now. Ugh, I don't think _Echo_ would push her that far, even if he usually can handle her." The ARC guessed.

"That reminds me. How do sparring matches usually go? You mentioned only two people have bested her?"

"On their own. Chopper and Wing, members of Pyro Squad managed to pin her, though that was a _unique_ set of circumstances." Rex replied.

"She had a tie with Commander Tano the one time they sparred." Fives said. The larger man _tsked_.

"So, you've fought her?"

"Both of us at once, actually. She still won by using us against each other." Rex wasn't very enthusiastic in his answer.

"You need to be agile to fight her, then."

"Sir, why do you ask?" The host chuckled at Fives' apprehensive tone.

"Well, since she's likely to attack me once this is over, it's would be nice to know her fighting patterns."

§ § §

Twitch collapsed beside Tail. Adenn had turned into ash when the corporal had shoved an icicle through his dead brother's heart, and the giants were smashed apart. The sergeant suddenly punched her brother's good shoulder.

"Ow!" He yelped.

"Call me a coward ever again and I'll make you eat your next weapon."

"Right. Ow."

"So, now what? I'm pretty sure we're going to wake up on Mustafar or something, at this rate."

"With our luck..." They sighed and laid down. Twitch leaned against her brother for warmth while packing more snow against her chest.

They slowly began to fall asleep. Just as blackness began swamping Twitch, she stirred.

"Tail?" She murmured.

"Mmm?"

"Don't die?"

"Hm." He hummed, slightly amused. "As long as you don't, vod'ika."

"M'Kay."

§ § §

"And out like lights." The host murmured.

"Now what?" Fives asked.

"Sleep gas. We'll keep them out until they're both healed and the next challenge is ready."

"You may want to break the news to them with some sort of barrier between you." The ARC warned.

"Yes, well, that would be a shame. I'm looking forward to a match between us."

§ § §

The next time Twitch came to, her eyes stayed closed. Warm sunlight made her comfortable and a gentle, moderate breeze ruffled her hair. Her fingers picked at the grass, letting the stems tickle her hand. The rustle of leaves in the wind met her ears, while birds whistled their daily songs.

"Hmm, Tail, I don't think they put us on Mustafar." The sergeant mumbled. No answer was forthcoming. "Tail?" Twitch sat up and looked around. She was alone. "Ah, kriff."

* * *

_A.N. ~ so, I posted this as soon as I finished, so not a word of Chapter Seven is currently in existence. Not sure when it'll be ready, but hopefully soon. Bye!_

**MANDO'A DEFINITIONS AND PRONUNCIATIONS: **

**Hut'uun: [hoo-TOON] coward (worst possible insult)**


	7. The Forest

_A.N. ~ been a few days, huh? Well, seven chapters means I should remind you._

_The Coruscant Guard is red, the 501st is blue, I don't own Star Wars, and you probably don't, too._

_Enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

"Twitch, how're your ribs?" Tail asked, sitting up. He realized no one was beside him. "Oh, great."

The forest around him was beautiful, with massive trees and deep green shrubbery, though nothing too thick to walk through.

_It's_ way _too peaceful...and pleasant. Whoever's doing this must have some nasty trap waiting,_ he thought.

The corporal checked his shoulder, finding that it was in one piece, not even bruised. He looked around, wondering how to find Twitch and how to do it without getting killed.

§ § §

"Lemme go, you hut'luuuna shabuirs!" Twitch snarled, struggling against creatures that looked like giant purple slugs with multiple long tentacles.

**(Slug monster scientists from Sword Art Online.)**

"She has a very short temper." One commented to his friend.

"Do you know what she's saying?" The second asked, wearing yellow strips.

"No, but it doesn't sound nice." The sergeant was snapping at them in Mando'a, Twi'leki, Trandoshan, and many other languages, occasionally using Basic when she couldn't think of the right word.

"My, what a creative girl." The first of the two, marked with green bands, murmured.

"Let's go see if we can make her scream like a little child."

§ § §

"In what sense would that be?" Fives hissed, arms crossed and fingers clenching tightly in anger.

"I want to test her reaction to pain and ability to escape."

"You sound like a Kaminoan." The ARC spat out slowly.

"Torturing a kid, even one with Twitch's background, has never been okay with you. What's going on?" Rex demanded.

§ § §

"She won't make a peep." One of the slugs, the one with yellow markings, grumbled. Since the two had brought Twitch back and set a torturer on her, the sergeant had remained on a borderline of psychopathically silent. Not one sound except heavy breathing.

"Are you sure you're hurting her?" The green-streaked one asked the torturer, a small, blue-splattered creature much like them.

"Absolutely. She's just stubborn." He jabbed an electrified prod into her ribs, earning only a short exhale of pained air and tightened jaw.

"Well, hurt her more!" The yellow-striped one demanded.

The teenager was suspended halfway up the wall by rose vines wrapped around her arms and legs, digging thorns into her skin.

The blue marked one grabbed an iron poker that had been heating in a fire. He hovered it over Twitch's chest.

"Now then, why don't we ensure you'll never have little brats to call your own?" He asked.

"Go right ahead. I already can't, though, so you'll just be giving me new scars." That was the first time the young girl had spoken since she'd been captured.

"Ah, yes, it does appear as though you've already been tortured excessively. Quite impressive you're still sane."

"..."

"Great, she's gone all quiet again." The yellow one complained.

§ § §

"What did she mean _'I already can't'_?" Fives asked, staring at the screen.

"I have no idea. Clones were always meant to be sterile, so maybe she can't?" Rex suggested, knowing fully well clones actually could have children as he remembered Cut Lawquane.

"Nope, she can't because her womb isn't in her body anymore." The large host mumbled from an information console.

**(I really don't know the right name for it.)**

"What?! How?" Fives gasped.

"Naboo, during the Infecteds' infestation of Coruscant. She was shot by a person working for someone called 'Jeph'. The bolt hit her womb and it had to be removed. You didn't know?"

"She didn't even hint at it." Rex sighed, looking sadly at his sister on the monitor as she stuck it out through a series of pokes with the hot metal.

"By now, sir, I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't help Twitch when she meets you." Fives spat, glaring at the bulky man.

"I wouldn't blame you if you did. However, until then, your continued cooperation would be appreciated."

§ § §

"She won't even moan." The torturer sighed, crossing his two main arms poutingly.

"Why don't we poke her throat? Make her scared." The yellow one suggested.

"Take my tongue, too. I won't be doing much talking." Twitch rasped.

"You _are_ a brave one, aren't you?" The blue one asked.

"..."

"Agh, now she's taunting us." The short tempered yellow one growled.

§ § §

Tail was in a bit of a rock and hard place situation. It was either face the angry grizzly bear, or swim across the lake.

Unfortunately, he couldn't swim. Not all clones could. It was a flaw in Kaminoan training to assume troops would never encounter instances where they had no choice but to do said action.

The trees nearby weren't climbable, the bear blocked his path of escape, and the lake was at his back. The animal advanced and roared.

"Kriff, why didn't I ask Twitch to teach me how to swim when we had the chance?" The scout muttered.

§ § §

The next time a hot piece of metal moved to burn her arm, Twitch wrenched the vines holding her into the way, cutting into her flesh and snapping the restraint.

She grabbed just above the cherry red part of the rod and swiftly forced it to cut her other hand free. She got her feet loose and dove away from the torturer, snatching up a sword.

"Alright, bring it!" She hissed, flourishing the weapon and copying a pose she'd seen Anakin Skywalker adopt many times before he'd fought. Both hands gripped the hilt, her feet were planted, the right slightly in front, and back somewhat hunched.

"An interesting stance." The large invertebrate commented.

"Either fight me or let me out." The sergeant bargained, ignoring his words.

"You've already lost and don't even know it." Twitch dove away from the spot she'd been. A tentacle grasped thin air, missing.

"Saying that when I can hear you is poor judgement."

"Hmm, most would say _'how so?'_, or _'you're the one who will lose'_."

"Most are people who haven't used that card themselves." The teenager pointed out. She whipped around and cut another tentacle in two. The slug howled in pain and she made a break for the stairs.

It was a stone spiral design, medieval, but Twitch was too concentrated in keeping ahead of the creature to take in the craftsmanship. She grasped the sword tightly.

It was a simple blade, long and black. If she knew anything about swords, the girl would be able to tell that this was a hand and a half sword.

Torches lined the walls, but eventually, she found a window. Outside, the light suggested that the time was mid-afternoon. It was ground level, so she cut an 'X' in the glass and side kicked it, then jumped through the frame and ran. The open clearing had her on edge, but she made it into the trees without incident.

§ § §

"That was fast." The host murmured.

"Twitch doesn't like being in closed spaces." Rex replied curtly.

"Or being tortured." Fives added.

"Be angry all you want, this is necessary."

§ § §

Tail dodged the bear as it slammed down with both paws, backing farther into the water. He stopped when it reached his thighs, looking down nervously. The bear swiped at him and he ducked under the surface.

The corporal lost his footing and thrashed wildly to reach air. He froze and let two bubbles slip from his mouth and watched them ascend. He turned himself around and slammed his feet into the muddy bottom, springing up. He gasped in oxygen and realized that the bear was gone.

§ § §

Twitch lay in a thicket, gasping and shivering. She knew she would have to move soon, since she had likely left a blood trail and was probably attracting predators.

She eventually got up with shaking limbs, grabbed her sword, and slinked out of cover, looking around in case of danger. She limped out and continued away from the place where she'd been tortured.

§ § §

A lake wasn't something she hadn't expected to find, but Twitch was glad it's what she stumbled across. The sergeant was just about to stoop down and get a drink when—

"Gotcha!"

"Ah!" She whirled around, bringing up the sword. She couldn't stop it in time, so she turned it, causing the flat of the blade to smack into Tail's shoulder.

"Ow!" He yelped.

"Ugh, di'kut." She sat down, basically collapsing. "What did you think would happen if you jumped me like that?"

"I expected you to stop in time." He sat down beside her.

"Expect me to stop with the weapons I usually fight with." Tail suddenly noticed the blood covering Twitch.

"What happened?" He worriedly took her arm in his hand to get a better look.

"The locals decided to catch and torture the first sentient they happened upon today." The teenager winced and pulled her arm out of his grasp.

"I'd describe them, but you're present." He grumbled.

"Heh, I'm sure that's the reason you don't want to call them..." Twitch proceeded to list a couple of the worst names she could think of.

"In a good mood, as always." He said.

"Just a _great_ one. Meh, they were amateur torturers." The sergeant slid into the water, letting the cool liquid soothe her stinging skin.

"You shouldn't know who's a rookie or experienced torturer or not." Tail murmured, glaring at the rocks.

Twitch had the back of her head in the water, nearly getting some in her ears. She opened on eye to look at her friend.

"There's lots of things I know that I shouldn't."

"Yeah, but this is torture we're talking about."

"This is the _past_ we're talking about; something that won't change no matter how wrong we say it is." The teenager sighed.

"I hate it when you go calm like that. It always makes my arguments sound invalid."

"I live with a bunch of older brothers. There's no way I _couldn't_ learn how to do that."

"Meh."

"Meh, yourself. We should probably get across the lake in case the locals are tracking us. Nice thing about swimming is that it doesn't leave a trail." Tail became still.

"Oh, um, wouldn't going through the forest give us a better chance of finding shelter?" He mumbled.

"Shelter is useless if we get caught. Come on, the water's not that cold."

"I, um...I-I..." The older clone stuttered.

"What?" Twitch flipped onto her stomach.

"I...can't swim." Tail cringed. Twitch burst out laughing.

"T-Tail, there's nothing wrong with that! Plenty of people don't know how to swim. Many _sailors_ don't!" She choked out, snickering.

"Then why are you laughing?" He demanded, cheeks turning red as he buried his face in the crook of his elbow.

"You were acting like a murderer confessing to someone! _I_ didn't know how to swim until I was twelve, either." He looked up in surprise.

"You've been keeping track?" Now Twitch's cheeks turned red and she ducked under the surface for a few moments. She came back up and Tail dunked her. By the time the sergeant was up and done spluttering, their blushes were gone.

"What?" She snapped.

"Since when has any clone's birthday been given a second glance?" He said.

§ § §

"There, see? You're swimming." Twitch smiled as Tail shakily swam in a large circle using the breaststroke. His legs moved right after his arms, sliding through the water like a frog.

"This is kinda fun." The corporal said, twisting onto his back.

"Kinda di'kutla of the Kaminoans to forget teaching you something like this." The teenager swam beside him.

"I guess so. Time to leave?" Twitch grabbed her sword and nodded.

§ § §

"Good shelter." Twitch commented, looking around the large burrow. It was roughly the side of their old barrack, though not quite high enough for Tail to stand at his full height.

"Yeah, but what was here before us?" The scout asked, nervously looking for tracks.

"Something big, strong, and had large claws." The sergeant was examining three long gashes in the dirt of a wall. Roots stuck out of the ceiling here and there, making movement hazardous if one is not looking around.

"Met something like that earlier. Brown shaggy coat and from the ursa family."

"A bear. Fantastic." Twitch sighed, tightening her grip on the sword.

"Better get a fire going. It's almost nightfall." While the teenager collected firewood, Tail broke a hole in the den's roof to vent smoke. They were just about to light the kindling by striking the sword against a stone when they heard snuffling outside.

Twitch spun around and got the sword ready while Tail prepared to throw the stone. The sergeant waited with her back against the wall next to the door.

_'Draw it in'_, she signalled. When the sergeant had admitted to not knowing hand signals, Tail had taught her. The corporal hurled the stone as soon as a large snout appeared, hitting the bear's nose. It roared and stomped in.

Twitch lunged, aiming the sword at its neck. She hit her mark and dug in, only to have it round on her and nearly claw her side open. She backed up, knowing that until the bear bled out, they'd have to stay in one piece.

"You can have the worst ideas." Tail muttered.

"We're still alive, aren't we?" She reminded.

"Barely." They dove out of the predator's path.

"By the way, this is dinner."

"You're probably insane enough to pull that off."

"_'Probably'_? What have I ever done to make you doubt me?" Soon, the bear collapsed, attempting to harm them if they approached. Eventually, it closed its eyes. It took a long time for the beast to actually die, but once they skinned and removed the meat as well as took the remains away from the den and cooked the food, it was worth the wait and effort.

"Mm, I admit your ideas usually end well." Tail admitted as he chewed a piece of meat.

"Hmm, good to hear."

* * *

_A.N. ~ the terrible twosome have a habit of turning what tries eating them into their next meal. The hunters refuse to be the hunted, I guess. Next chapter will be a while, but not too long. Hope to see you guys soon!_

**MANDO'A DEFINITIONS AND PRONUNCIATIONS: **

**Hut'uunla: [hoo-TOON-la] cowardly (worst possible insult)**


	8. Planet of Storms

_A.N. ~ hi, guys. Got this chapter ready as fast as I could. I have school now, but it shouldn't slow production too much. So, please enjoy Chapter Eight!_

* * *

In the forest, Twitch and Tail defeated Kal. On a jungle planet, they fought Cross. On a mechanical planet, the won in a fight against Dodge. Spitfire attacked them on a volcanic planet, Jax on a rock planet, and finally, Wing in a place where there was no apparent ground, simply floating chunks of earth.

**(Dragon Hunters landscape.)**

The next time Twitch woke up, she was in a medical bay, not a new place to survive. She let out a partial hissing/_'kkk'_ sound as she sat up.

"You're awake, ner vod." A clone commented.

"Yeah, Tail, I'm—" the sergeant paused. That voice was too deep to be Tail's. The girl turned to see the largest clone she'd ever met. He was muscled to the point of bulkiness, had the typical black hair, and buzz cut.

"Well, you obviously know the differences between your brothers' tones." The man complimented.

"Yes, but, how did you find out?"

"We were monitoring you and Tail as you went through the landscapes. It's been almost over a month since you two started."

"You mean to say you're one of the people responsible for us getting stuck in there?" The sergeant asked softly.

"Yes, and that's why I chose the med bay to tell you." Twitch was shaking as she tried to remain calm.

"I should kill you for that." It was not a joke, judging by her body language and tone. "You were hurting one of your brothers in there. Your own brother. What the kriff were you thinking?" She glared at him, still trembling.

"You were hurt, too. That doesn't come into play?"

"Yes, but I'm more disgusted with how you treated Tail. What was the point of all that?" The man tried putting his hand on her shoulder, but the teenager punched it off as soon as his fingers brushed her shoulder, bruising the inside of his arm.

"Commando training. The newest version by using a holoroom."

"Then what were we eating and drinking?" Twitch's anger was momentarily stopped as she puzzled over the physics of it.

"We fed and hydrated you after you beat each challenge. You just felt like you were eating and drinking, and it only _felt_ cold or hot. It's fairly advanced technology." The thump of Twitch's fist meeting his cheek paused the conversation.

"It was that or I strangle you. Be glad I'm not still thirteen." The clone rubbed his cheekbone tenderly.

"Well, I was expecting worse, so I'm already thankful."

"Is Tail alright?"

"Yes." The man displayed another bruise forming on his jaw. "He wasn't too pleased, either."

"Do I have to explain why?" She crossed her arms irritably.

"No, I understand. The upside is, you both passed. If you choose, you can become commandos, or you could return to the 501st."

"Tell me you aren't clueless enough to think that that's any consolation for hurting your brother." Twitch sighed. "What exactly is it that commandos do?"

"They're much like ARCs, but work in teams of threes, fours, and occasionally fives and sixes. Assassination, infiltration, demolition, and sabotage are the more common jobs."

"Spitfire would love this." The sergeant muttered, then raised her voice to normal level. "Has Tail decided?"

"No, he said he wanted to discuss it with you."

"The feeling's mutual. Off topic, where are we?"

"The military complex in Tipoca City." Twitch's eyes widened and she looked around swiftly, almost expecting a Kaminoan to jump out with a scalpel.

_Kamino. Why the kriff did it have to be Kamino?_

"And how long before I can get my weapons back?"

"As soon as you feel up to it." She stood up, patient gown covering her small frame.

"I feel great. Just how many Kaminoans could we come in contact with?"

"Not many. Don't like them?"

"Jango Fett could tell me it's alright and I wouldn't believe him."

"Well, change and we can go." Twitch, for the first time, noticed the black garments on a table beside her bed. She picked them up and looked at the clone, waiting for him to turn his back.

"Oh, right." He mumbled, turning around. Twitch changed,watching him closely. She didn't trust this clone as far as she could throw him.

§ § §

Twitch, packing both her DC-17 pistols and gauntlets, walked into a small briefing room. Tail was already waiting.

"You hit him, too, huh?" He guessed, looking at the second purple blotch on the other clone's face.

"I wasn't happy." The sergeant agreed. She limped to the seat next to Tail.

"I'll be outside. Knock when you've decided." The large man said. As soon as he was gone, the two friends began whispering.

"Commando training, my shebs." Twitch hissed angrily.

"It does make sense, though they should've asked our permission, first." The corporal murmured.

"I hate it when you get calm like that. What do you want to do?" The girl asked.

"I was going to ask you that. You have friends back in the 501st, still, so it's up to you."

"Do you even want to do this stuff? It means you won't get to be on the open battlefield to shoot droids. This is sneak in, break droid necks, set charges, crawl through vents and boom. I know you like just shooting your opponents."

"I wouldn't mind giving it a shot, but I'm fine with going back to our usual routine."

"So..." They sat quietly, not wanting to force the other into anything.

"We're hopeless." Tail sighed.

"So much. Look, wherever you choose to go, I'll be happy to follow."

"Hmm, even to Serrenno?" Tail smirked.

"Well, that's when I'd drag you to a med bay to get your head checked, but I wouldn't let you go alone." There was another long silence.

"The 501st reminds you of them, doesn't it?" The scout asked quietly.

"I'm not gonna lie, it hurts whenever I look around the Resolute."

"The commandos, then. We join them and try to forget the bad things." Twitch fingered her neck where she had several dog tags hanging, touching the ones that belonged to Bark, Spitfire, Chopper, Kal, Wing, and her own. Tail had the rest of them.

It wasn't in protocol to be wearing any tag besides your own, but until they had a place to sleep and their duffel bags along with their possessions (clothing and armour, mainly), it was the only convenient way to transport the tags inconspicuously.

"Alright. The bad things."

§ § §

"The other two are inside." The big clone said.

"Thank you. What's your name, anyway?" Twitch asked.

"My nickname is Alpha." He walked away, leaving a startled sergeant and confused corporal.

"No way." The teenager breathed.

"What?" Tail looked to see her gaze locked on the clone's back.

"Alpha-17, A-17, or Alpha, is Alpha-class ARC. One of the best. He trained a lot of the current clone commanders, including Rex and Commander Cody. Ventress supposedly killed him a couple years ago."

"Wow. He trained _Rex_..."

"Okay, we better meet the other two." Twitch broke them out of their daydreams. They were meant to meet the rest of their new squad.

Inside were two clones, both with the black hair and buzz cuts that were common, though they also had burn scars on the left sides of their faces. They stood and the pairs met in the middle of the room, looking each other over.

"Um, a kid?" Was the first the right one said.

"Um, yes." Twitch replied, eyes partially lidded and features blank, making her look nearly bored.

"Well, look who it is." A snaky, deep voice came from the doorway. Twitch turned and looked at a grown man with brown hair and black eyes, a couple day's growth on his cheeks.

"General Tiku." She greeted stiffly, eyes narrowing to slits. The two scarred clones snapped to attention, but the sergeant crossed her arms and turned her right shoulder to the Jedi. Tail stood behind and to the girl's left, becoming a menacing shadow.

"I see you found new playthings. I wonder how long these will last." Tiku snickered.

"I warned you it was a trap."

"And I didn't listen, because little girls and copies don't get to make the rules."

"You know, there was a Jedi like you, once, who didn't have regard for clone life. His name was Pong Krell. Do you know what happened to him? I remember. A bunch of copies and a little girl caught and executed him." The man stalked up and stood over her, glaring.

"Is that a threat?"

"Simply a little girl's harmless words. I'm sure they won't bother you, since they don't matter." Twitch was close to pure defiance, keeping eye contact and playing dumb to her own words.

The Jedi grabbed her shoulder and slammed her into the wall in one fluent motion. The teenager inwardly winced at the bruises she knew she would feel the next morning.

You're very confident, _child_." The Jedi left and Twitch sighed in relief.

"Ugh, I wouldn't mind putting a bolt in his back." She muttered, massaging her right leg.

"That's the most scared I've seen you since Chopper's doppelgänger attacked us." Tail murmured.

"How do you get 'scared' from that? I though she was going to kill him!" One of the two other clones said.

"Did you have to say it?" The sergeant mumbled.

"Sorry."

"Alright, wait, you're the other members of the squad?" The second clone asked.

"Yes." Tail answered.

"And you're a soldier?" The clone looked at Twitch.

"Yes." She nodded.

"Really?"

The teenager sighed and walked to a bunk that hadn't been disturbed. It was simply a mattress on top of a rectangle built into the wall, going in for three and a half feet. The space's ceiling was the same height as the rest of the room's.

She sat down and leaned against a wall, checking her guns' charges and blades' sharpness. Tail tried talking to his brothers, finding out their names were Streak and Hazard.

Streak was a fast runner and a joker, like his brother, but less talkative. Hazard would take any challenge, any time. If someone dared him to prank a CO, he'd likely do it. They were both adept pranksters, the subject being brought up, and could generally do whatever they liked without leaving a trail that led to them.

"So, you can prank _anyone_?" Tail asked, smirking as he glanced at Twitch. She didn't miss the movement.

"Try it and never sleep soundly again." The sergeant warned. "By the way, how did the recording come out?" Tail flipped out a comm like a coin, catching it before pressing the button.

_"I see you found new playthings. I wonder how long these will last."_ Tiku's voice said, loud and clear. The corporal stopped it and tucked the device away.

"Good as we could hope for." Twitch nodded before returning to her gauntlet, poking around the wires inside.

"Oh, hello." She said indignantly, pulling out a listening device from her weapon. "Eavesdropping hour ended a while ago. Oh, and you're gonna have to buy a replacement for this one." She sliced the machine in half and dropped it down the trash chute.

"You knew there was a listening device?" Streak asked.

"This is Kamino. Of course there was one." Twitch found several more of the small probes, destroying them all.

"Paranoid?" Hazard asked.

"Experienced." Twitch checked her guns over, Tail doing the same with his DC-15S blaster rifle.

_I hate Kamino,_ Twitch thought crossly.

"What's got you so on edge?" The scout asked.

"You know what. How long are we going to be on planet?" She replied, eyes darting to the doorway as though she thought Kaminoans would be storming in any second.

"Dunno." He shrugged. There was a knock, causing Twitch to start. A droid rolled in, carrying four duffel bags.

What followed was a large, white Kaminoan, a male, since he had a head crest, with black eyes and grey irises.

The sergeant subconsciously began inching backwards until her shoulder blades connected with the wall, trapping her. The other clones snapped to attention, though Tail knew his sister was terrified.

"You, follow me." The native pointed at Twitch. She bit the inside of her cheek and forced herself to appear nonchalant.

"Pass. One memory wipe was enough."

"I do not wish to cause you harm."

"Forgive me for not believing you." Twitch's fear was melting into anger and annoyance.

"You have my word as prime minister." He said.

_Prime minister? Is he...Lama Su?!_ She realized.

"Just remember that I'm on edge and armed." She hopped off the bunk and followed the Kaminoan, hands hovering near guns.

"The last time you were on Kamino, you assaulted one of the scientists; Ko Sai." The graceful local stated as they walked.

"Says the one whose species experimented on and forcefully removed memories from me."

"And you killed three scientists before that."

"You kill your own young if their eyes aren't the right colour. Do I really need to defend myself?" Twitch glared.

"That is classified information. How did you find out." The tall being's head tilted smoothly to look at her.

"_I_ was classified information. It takes one to find more." The girl was enjoying herself, having the rare opportunity to mess with a Kaminoan. She knew it was dangerous to irritate the Prime Minister himself, but the way she saw it, the Republic bought the clones, so Su wouldn't kill someone else's property.

"Did you find anything else that wasn't for most eyes to see?" Lama's voice remained the same, but the sergeant liked to imagine he was anxious.

"It's sorely tempting to say 'yes', but no, I didn't have much of a chance to get any deeper into the files. Pity, though. I'd've liked to see what dirty secrets you long necks are hiding."

They entered a room and Twitch practically leapt back out the doors. It was a laboratory, filled with different Kaminoans and different doohickeys making different noises.

"I'm out." The teenager muttered, turning to leave.

"Sergeant, we only want one was blood sample, and then we will leave you alone." Twitch thought about the Prime Minister's offer. She finally sighed, inwardly cursing herself.

"Last time, never again, not at gunpoint. Make this one count, for whatever you want to do with it."

* * *

_A.N. ~ with Twitch out of the holoroom, I should probably find a nice, safe bunker to hide in until she blows off some steam._

Rex:_ it's your own fault for putting her there in the first place._

Fives: _and having her tortured _again_._

Rex: _and hurting her brother-by-choice._

Fives:_ and making her face a laboratory _again_._

Rex:_ you're basically responsible for everything that's happened to her._

Me:_ well, I won't say you're wrong. Now, readers, I'll start working on Chapter Nine soon, but I can't say it'll be up within 48 hours for sure. I'll do what I can._


	9. We Won't Forget Them

_A.N. ~ next chapter right here, people! Hope it makes you smile. If not, shame on me._

* * *

The Kaminoans clearly didn't want to waste their opportunity, because they had Twitch sitting in a chair as her blood dripped into a bag for ten minutes.

She was reluctant to become so vulnerable from blood loss, but an armed loopy person could be as dangerous as an armed clearheaded one.

"Where did you get these scars?" Lama Su asked.

"Meh, Dooku interrogated me, I didn't want to answer his questions. Two years later, he still had nothing to show for it." The sergeant mentally kicked herself.

_Saying_ _'I was tortured by Dooku'_ _would have sufficed, genius!_

"I see. Do you think you could make it back to your quarters?" Twitch nodded.

A bandage was wrapped over the hole in her arm, a small dab of bacta to speed up healing, gauntlets out back on, and she was sent on her way.

By the time she stumbled into the room where Tail, Streak, and Hazard were playing sabacc, the teenager felt fairly crappy.

"What happened?" Tail asked.

"I hate Kamino. And Kaminoans. Can we leave, now?" She mumbled, kicking off her boots, flopping onto her bed, and curling up, dragging the blanket around herself.

"What happened?" the corporal repeated.

"Long necks wanted blood, I decided agreeing would be a haranuvalot faster than saying no and getting pestered the rest of the time we're here."

The scout sighed. "I thought you said you'd rather be dead than a lab rat."

"I did, I was a di'kutla thirteen year old, and from now on, that statement is still in play. I was just saving time."

"I'm lost." Hazard said, looking from Tail to Twitch.

"She's got a bit of a past with the long necks."

"And that's where you leave it." The sergeant ordered, shifting into a more comfortable position.

"Yes, ma'am." Her friend teased.

"Ne'johaa." She retorted sleepily. It was so droopy sounding that the corporal had to smile.

§ § §

Twitch woke up to a semi-empty room. Tail was on the bed across from her, cleaning his gun.

"Morning, nuhoyir kovid." The older clone said.

"S'it already morning?" The girl sat up, looking at the chrono above the door.

"Fun thing about blood loss, you get a good night's sleep. Ready to eat?" Twitch realized how hungry she was.

"Yeah. Where'd the others go?"

"To the Mess and gym." The sergeant ran a hand through her hair and blinked hard a few times.

"Mm, well, that sounds like a plan."

She grabbed a body suit identical to the one she was wearing and went into the refresher to change, coming out with her rumpled clothes in one hand and five dog tags in the other. She put the tags in her duffel, folded and put her dirty clothing on on top of them, and pulled her black army boots on.

"You look like a ninja until..." Tail poked a gauntlet.

"Yeah, I've been thinking about black paint." They started walking out, Twitch leaving her guns on her bunk.

§ § §

Wherever they were in the Military Complex, it was clearly meant for commandos and commandos only.

The gymnasium was amazing, complete with small holorooms that could simulate different areas and people, set to whatever perimeters the user desired.

Weight lifting areas, honest to goodness workout machines, even a pool and some rope climbing sections filled the massive room.

"Whoa." Tail murmured.

"Yeah. This puts the Resolute's gym to shame." Twitch agreed, eyeing the holorooms with a mix of weariness and curiosity.

"Teach me more swimming techniques?" The scout asked.

"I don't think they have swimwear for teenage girls. Sorry, ner vod, gonna have to find Hazard or Streak for that one."

"Where are you going?" He glanced at her.

"Holoroom. I'm going to scrap a few droids."

"Have fun with that."

§ § §

Twitch had to admit that when she was in control, a holoroom was far more enjoyable. Though, sparring with a magnaguard somewhat dulled the shine and increased it simultaneously.

She'd only gotten to fight the large machines once as far as she could remember, and it was every bit as difficult as she recalled.

The sergeant blocked the staff and backflipped onto a boulder. She'd programmed the room to be misty and full of rocks that varied in size, basically recreating Terrisk.

The magnaguard raised its staff, causing it to become horizontal to the ground. Twitch jumped head first, crossing her arms into an X and landing with them balanced on the staff. She sprang off and cut the droid in half before it could turn around. When the machine continued to drag itself towards her, she picked up its fallen weapon and stabbed it through the thing's chest.

"End simulation." She ordered. The environment flickered out of existence, leaving her in a seventeen by seventeen foot room with glowing rectangular panels making up the floor, walls, and ceiling.

She walked out, sweat down her back and on her forehead. The teenager made sure no one was waiting for a holoroom prior to returning to the console, resetting it, and walking into the space.

It phased into a dark alleyway, a half moon lighting the sky. Shadowy figures holding things from clubs to knives came in from either side. One was spinning a chain slowly, a few wielding crowbars.

The sound of someone entering distracted the girl. A clone seemed to open a door in the side of the building to her right, walking in before closing it.

"Pause simulation." Twitch ordered.

"Oh, so we aren't fighting?" The tone was unfamiliar to her.

"Well, if that's your preference, resume simulation." The last two words were louder and flatter than the rest of her sentence. "So, is it common to join other people's simulations?"

"If you want me to leave..."

"I was just curious in case all the rooms were taken and I saw someone in a scenario I wanted to try."

"Well, in that case, it's not unheard of, though if anyone does that the person already inside has every right to kick them out." The figures attacked and Twitch kicked one's arm, knocking his weapon away from herself and quickly switching feet to kick his head.

"So, you wanted to be jumped in an alleyway." The sergeant reasoned.

"Well, I was walking by and noticed the setting, and I thought to myself, _'hmm, seven armed men against one girl seems a little unfair'_."

"You say it like my gender factors in." Twitch ducked the chain and grabbed it, yanking the holder into a high five involving his face and her fist.

"It does. It seemed so unfair to the holograms to have to fight you, so I decided to make it even worse for them." That made the girl smile as she launched off the stone frame of a window to kick a man's head before jumping off his shoulders to kick another's. That ended the simulation.

"Well, you did a good job of it." The four men her brother had fought were all on the ground, unconscious and injured.

"You didn't do bad, yourself. Mind if I pick the next one?"

"Be my guest." The clone walked out, then came back in a couple minutes later. The room morphed into a desert oasis. Several large Trandoshans began stalking toward them. Twitch's arm-blades slid out.

"So, it's okay to 'hurt' _these_ guys?" The older clone asked.

"They regrow their limbs. Besides, their skulls are too thick for concussions."

"I see you like Trandoshans."

"Love 'em."

"Well, what a ladies man you are." Another clone walked in, smirking at his brother. Twitch could feel her cheeks warming up, but she was fairly sure she could pin any unusual colours on the sudden heat of the desert sun.

"Because _I_ was the one cuddling three Twi'leks last time we were on Coruscant." The first of the two shot back with a pointedly raised eyebrow.

A Trandoshan swiped at Twitch and her reflexes flung her body into a backflip.

"If you want to pause the fight to talk, we can." The sergeant offered while blocking a tail and quickly digging in and pulling out her right blade from the reptile's back, paralyzing him.

"That would be no fun. Then we wouldn't get to mock these di'kuts." The first of the older two roundhouse kicked the nearest Trandoshan, his friend squaring off with another.

"At this point it's beyond di'kutla to attack." Twitch said, hand springing into her opponent feet first.

"Leave them _some_ dignity." The second arrival chastised.

"Did they have any to begin with?" She quipped.

"Kid's got a point." The first chuckled, flooring his adversary. Three more Trandoshans appeared from behind the rocks. Savage Opress materialized.

"Wait, I didn't plan that." The wisecracking man yelped.

"Hi, Twitch. I'll get the lizard. Why don't you have some fun." Tail walked in with a grin.

"I'm so gonna get you for this." The teenager glared before charging the holographic Sith.

"Well, you always complain about not enough to do, so maybe if you expend some energy, you won't have anything to be bored about."

"I'll just drop a magnaguard on you next round."

"Fair enough." Opress wasn't quite as difficult as he was in real life, but Twitch still relished the challenge, sparring and dodging as though the lightsabers truly could kill her.

Unfortunately for the teenager, the next time she did a backward handspring, her right leg gave out with a sharp stab of pain and she landed on her back, blocking a lightsaber. Her arms trembled with the effort.

The girl kicked the Dathomirian in his hip, shifting the balance so she could roll away. Her leg hurt when she put weight on it, however, so she had to limp to move.

"Is your leg alright?" One of the two strangers asked.

"Just a bit sore." Suddenly, Dooku and Grievous came to life. "Ah, kriff. Who's the di'kut messing with the controls?" She snapped. They all were suddenly plunged into a sea.

"Haar'chak!" Tail cursed, taken by surprise. The currents, rolling waves and beating rain confused him until he went under the surface. Twitch dove after him, grabbing his forearm and guiding her friend back to air.

"Keep calm! It's basically the same as a lake, just rougher." The teenager shouted. "Swim up with the wave and tread water as it passes." They swam to the other clones. A wave crashed down on them, but instead of going underwater, they fell into a snowbank.

"To haran with this. End simulation!" The second of the two others barked. They sprawled into a tangle of limbs on the holoroom's floor.

"Whoever's out there better be a fast runner." Tail muttered.

"Get off!" Twitch yelped.

"Is that what you really want?" The first of the two joked. The sergeant jerked her elbow into his jaw, causing him to rear back.

"Make a joke like that once, shame on you. Make a joke like that ever again and have a free visit to the morgue."

"If she doesn't do it, I will." Tail added.

"You two wouldn't happen to be in the same squad..." The second asked.

"Yep." Twitch wormed her way out from under the two other men. The door opened to show Streak and Hazard, both doubled over and laughing.

"Get your shebs moving if you value your health." The second of the strangers growled.

"You two better find a nice comfy vent to sleep in!" Twitch hissed.

"Didn't think you'd be this angry." Streak murmured, catching on that they'd pushed it too far.

"_Did_ you even think?" The sergeant demanded, glaring at the floor. She knew it was a hologram, but seeing Dooku appear in front of her like that...

There was a reason Tail had picked Savage out of the four Sith he knew. Dooku was obvious for why not, Ventress and Twitch also had a past. Grievous had permanently damaged Twitch's leg, so there was really no other option.

"Sorry." Hazard mumbled. The young girl sighed, shaking her head while walking out and away from the room.

§ § §

An hour later found Twitch with bloody knuckles having a shower in the refresher attached to her new squad's quarters.

She'd taken her fear, anger, and irritation out on a punching bag. Everyone, including Tail, had steered clear of her.

The sergeant finished cleaning up quickly, dried herself, put on a fresh bodysuit and hung her newly washed ones to dry.

Next, got her gauntlets and went to the Mess hall. She was exhausted from the long exercise and blood loss, and her knuckles were split and sore when she flexed them.

In short, Twitch would take Umbara over the last month. She'd happily take Umbara and Krell if it meant Pyro Squad was still alive.

_Stop playing the 'what if' game and get your food, _she scolded herself.

The tray slightly wobbled in her fingers as she walked to an empty table. As she ate, the sergeant mentally said a Mandalorian remembrance for her dead squad mates.

§ § §

"So, you finally painted them." Tail said, examining the black covering Twitch's weapons. He noticed thirteen sets of Aurebesh letters chiseled into the paint, the thin lines creating a sharp-looking font of the alphabet.

_Dinger_

_Bark_

_Wing_

_Fritz_

_Shorty_

_Kal_

_Chopper_

_Spitfire_

_Adenn_

_Jax_

_Decker_

_Dodge_

_Cross_

The names were written in twos, threes, and once in a set of four, seven on one arm and six on the other. The columns, he soon realized, represented who was closest to whom.

Bark and Dinger, Jax and Decker, Dodge and Cross, Wing, Fritz, Shorty, and Kal, and finally, Spitfire, Chopper, and Adenn.

All the dead members of Pyro Squad had been written down, there for any observant eyes to see.

"I'm going to do this with my armour, too. The left breastplate. It was a good idea to group them like that." The corporal murmured.

"Pieces of metal shouldn't be the only proof they were alive." Twitch replied quietly. "Or proof that we remember them."

* * *

**MANDO'A DEFINITIONS AND PRONUNCIATIONS: **

**Ne'johaa: [Neh-JOH-hah] Shut up**

**Nuhoyir: [noo-HOY-eer] slumber, sleep**

**Kovid: [KOV-eed] head**

**(I was basically getting as close to 'sleepy head' as I could.)**

**Ner Vod: [nair vohd] my brother**

**Di'kut: [DEE-koot] idiot, fool, useless individual, waste of space (insulting or affectionate depending on tone)**

**(I didn't actually get this far without using di'kut, right? I just forgot the definition, right? _Right_?) **

**Di'kutla: [dee-KOOT-lah] useless, stupid, worthless, foolish ****(insulting or affectionate depending on tone)**


	10. Where Some Babies Come From

_A.N. ~ so sorry for the wait. I've been experiencing some technical difficulties, but they're gone now. :)_

* * *

After a semi-gruelling battle, ending in the droids' destruction and light to medium losses for the villagers, things died down.

"It could've been a lot worse. We need to get these people into fighting shape." Tail sighed, conferring with his fellow soldiers and Gyssk, who appeared to be either the leader or representative of the entire village.

"It would help if we had more time. And fewer interruptions from the clankers." Hazard grumbled.

"Gyssk, do you know where the droids' camp is?" Twitch murmured.

"No."

"Then we prepare for the next attack. Train, set traps for the droids, and concentrate on finding the enemy base. If we do that, we can avoid more losses." The teenager decided, voice adopting the tone she'd used as a sergeant on the battlefield.

Hazard nodded. "Let's get to it, then."

§ § §

Twitch helped set up defences around the village, planting booby traps and digging trenches. She had the Trandoshans who were too young to fight helping, along with any adults who had already gone with the other clones, or ones who were caring for children and wouldn't be in any battles.

They were busy digging a trench and piling the dirt on the opposite side of where the droids would come from, determined to get six feet deep.

"This is boring. Can we go play?" One of the children whined.

"You can play later. Right now, try and make a game of digging." Twitch panted, shoulders burning as she tossed dirt out of her spot.

"It's _digging_. How do you make a game out of it?" A female youngling demanded.

"I don't know. That's why I told you to figure it out so you'd have something to do." The commando growled, pausing to swallow a couple mouthfuls of lukewarm water, then passing the canteen on to the nearest person.

"Why are you with the soldiers? We're too young to fight, so why do you?" A dusty orange male asked. He appeared to be nearly as old as the girl.

"Because you're younger than me, and I've had training for this."

"You could give us training, and not everyone here is that young." The same boy protested.

"I know, but I don't want to risk losing any of you. Besides, when the droids next attack, I need you lot on fire duty. If a stray shot starts up a blaze, I want anyone who can safely do it get a bucket of water and put any fires out. If it puts you near the line of fire, though, you just let it burn."

"Don't give us jobs we know won't be needed!" One of the children snapped.

"It very well may be needed, and unless you want someone's property to go up in flames, you'll do as I say." The sharp tone stopped any more rebellion.

It was only after a short break that any children risked speaking again.

"How do you know what you're doing?" A girl asked. Twitch bit off a sharp reply. The youngling's tone had been inquisitive, not challenging.

"Experience." The soldier replied.

"But you're still a youngling, too." A rather young female reminded.

"I know, but that doesn't change the fact I know how to defend a village."

"_Have_ you ever defended a village before?" One of the adult Trandoshans queried.

"I've never gone to this extent for a town as small as Sharakk, but yes, I have."

"How long've you been fighting? The reptile was barely out of childhood, having recently turned eighteen standard years.

"Five years. Started around the middle of the first Clone War."

"That long? It must be great to be a soldier. You probably get to see a lot of planets." Another male, this one around Twitch's age, sighed.

The commando swallowed, unsure of what to say.

_Just tell him that being a soldier is about more than just travelling, and go from there, _Tail counselled, having been listening to the conversation through Twitch's ears.

_Right. Thanks,_ she inwardly sighed.

"I've seen many planets, but travelling is only a fraction of what soldiers do." The teenager murmured, somewhat changing her brother's words, yet saying the same thing.

"What else does a soldier do? Besides fighting?" One of the younglings paused her digging to look directly at the human.

"Hmm, well, some soldiers guard planets and, sometimes, systems by staying in an outpost, in case they need to alert nearby forces to enemy presence. Relief missions, escorts, supply transports, sometimes acting as a part of a military police, and training others also sometimes enter a soldier's duties."

"Wow, that's busy." Another teenager blinked.

"Well, there are usually enough troops to divide things up fairly evenly." Twitch shrugged, massaging a tight muscle a few seconds before returning to the hole that was nearly complete.

§ § §

As they dug a second trench, this one set four feet behind the first, something Twitch didn't think she'd have to do for a long time happened.

"Human, can you tell us a story?" A very young, small male who'd insisted on helping asked. He had teamed up with a near-adult, the younger loosening dirt while the older lobbed it out of the hole.

"Hmm, a story, huh? What kind of story?" The calm front she put up hid the storm of panic rising in the commando.

_Twitch, calm down! It's only a story,_ Tail assured.

_Yeah, but what kinds of stories do I tell them? I don't even know any!_

"Will you tell us about the humans who came with you?" That calmed the worried soldier. This was something she could do safely.

"Which one do you want to hear about?" The girl asked.

"Mmm...tell us about the one who painted his armour black." The same girl who'd suggested the subject decided.

"Ah, that would be Tail. He's a scout, but he also works as our medic."

"But what about what he's like? What's he act like?" The female persisted.

_Wait, what?_ The clone in question asked through the link.

_As hard as it is to believe, ner vod, they wanna know about _you_, not your job, _Twitch smiled slightly.

"Well, Tail is levelheaded, smart, and a good leader, but he also has a good sense of humour, though he'll wait for somebody else to line up the joke before delivering a punchline. He is loyal, but also willing to speak his mind if need be."

_Awww,_ the scout had a strong sense of amusement, as well as pride and gratitude.

_You're welcome. Just be glad I didn't add in the part where you have a tendency to snore,_ Twitch teased.

Tail, in fact, never snored. However, it was always fun to cause paranoia in someone about the issue.

_I do not! Do I?_ He protested.

_Just ask Streak or Hazard_, she suggested.

"He sounds nice. What about the other two, who haven't painted their armour yet?" The female Trandoshan pushed.

"Streak and Hazard. Streak is quieter, but still gets up to antics with Hazard. He's our mechanic, and naturally has a strong sense of curiosity. Now, they both are very good pranksters, and can usually get away with any stunts they pull. Hazard will take any dare you throw at him, and he's a bit more outspoken than Streak. He's our sniper, though a bit loud and energetic." The younglings listened intently, lapping up the flow of information.

"Cool! Has anything funny ever happened to you?" The girl clearly had a curious and stubborn nature. Combined, they were the two things in people Twitch avoided most, mainly because that was how _she_ was.

There were far too many secrets tucked away in her mind to be risked around others of her mindset.

"Hmm..." Twitch suddenly remembered something. "Well, there's that time before Coruscant was abandoned to the Infecteds, during the 501st's shore leave..."

§ § §

FLASHBACK

Twitch sat in a cell with Shorty, Fritz, and Wing. Their wrists were bare, as were their ankles. No guns were present on their hips, and the white gauntlets Twitch relied on often had been removed.

"That was a horrible idea." Fritz muttered.

"I'm not the one who decided bringing you three was a good idea." The teenager retorted testily.

"We were bored!" Shorty protested.

"Uh-huh. Well, at least you're not the ones who have to explain this to Rex." She smiled wryly, wishing not for the first time that she wasn't a sergeant.

"I'd call that a blessing. Can't you get us out of here?" Wing suggested.

"Heck, I already have several escape plans, but we aren't using any." Twitch asserted.

"I guess beating up some of our own brothers and becoming fugitives wouldn't go over too well." The mechanic shrugged.

"You think?" Wing's chuckle reverberated through the small room.

A cell of six strides (about thirteen feet) in any direction didn't go over well with three grown men and a three-quarter-grown teenager in regards to personal space.

"Well, what do we do now?" Wing asked.

"We wait until someone gets our shebs out of here." Twitch grumbled, beginning to pace before catching herself and sitting down on one of the benches that served as a bed.

"Actually, you four will be explaining to me exactly what was going through your heads." A clone in armour painted with a dark red shade walked in, two guards standing at the entrance, also marked in the colour.

_Commander Fox. Great. This is juuuust great, _Twitch thought crossly.

"I take responsibility for it, sir." Shorty stood, placing a hand on his chest.

"No, actually, it was my fault." Wing mimicked his brother's movements.

"You two did nothing compared to my screw up." Fritz intervened.

"Luubid! Sheber, gar ehn." The loud, sharp tone of Twitch's clear voice immediately had the three clones sitting as she stood.

_This is definitely earned respect and obedience,_ Fox mused, _and that was certainly the voice of an officer. There's no way, though, right?_

"Commander, I am their sergeant. As such, this is my responsibility, and I will accept any punishment that will be given as such." She stated, gaze unwavering as she met his eyes with her own hard golden ones.

_Sure enough,_ the Commander sighed inwardly.

"Maybe you lot should concentrate on explaining instead of taking blame." He suggested.

"Well," Twitch murmured, "it didn't start so badly..."

§ § §

FLASHBACK INSIDE THE FLASHBACK

"Sarge, where do you always go off to during leave?" Fritz's voice stopped the girl at the doorway. She turned and smiled, partially sheepish and partly calm.

"I've got some informants here on Coruscant in the lower levels. They sniff out anything that might need some attention." Twitch explained, sweeping an upturned hand for emphasis. "And you know my name isn't 'Sarge'."

"Right, sorry. Um..." She could see a question playing on the older clone's lips.

"Go ahead." The teenager encouraged.

"Mind if we come with you?" Wing cut in. He and Shorty grinned imploringly whilst Fritz had a smaller upward curve to his lip, looking embarrassed.

"Heh, sure. It's a long walk, though." She warned.

§ § §

"You walk this far every time you go see your informants?" Wing mumbled dubiously.

"Well, usually I'd catch a transport, but it's hard to do that with three more people." Twitch grinned, imagining what a mess that would make.

"Right, the part where you have to pay if over six people are onboard at a time." Fritz muttered.

"Yeah, that part. Anyway, we're almost there." The girl's voice echoed through the tunnel. It was dimly lit, straight as an arrow, and long. Very, very long.

It led to a small, sort of underground village, where, though the residents were poor, they were still as loud, rowdy and lively as the city above.

The group entered a cavern. A massive one, which housed, as noted above, a small cluster of buildings.

"Wow." Fritz stated simply, already looking around at the architecture of the space, gears in his brain spinning.

"Okay, you guys go ahead and look around. Too many people at once make my informants nervous." Twitch said, left hand waving as she walked away.

§ § §

_Whack!_

Twitch's foot hit the head of one of the armed men who'd cornered Fritz. He turned around, raised a finger as if to make a point, and fell over.

"One hour. You just broke a record." The teenager smirked.

"Wow, it's been that long since we got down here? I figured I'd be in trouble fifty minutes ago." The mechanic grinned.

The remaining thieves attacked and were dealt with in short order.

"Where'd the others go?" Twitch sighed.

"Checking out the bar."

"We better be running, then."

"Yep." They started sprinting down the main road. The loud music, cheery yellow light that was cast out the windows, and general cozy feeling of the building didn't hide the ruckus that was occurring inside.

"I think we're too late, Twitch." Fritz groaned.

"Let's go make sure they don't get anyone hurt." The sergeant sighed, pushing open the doors.

Sure enough, Wing and Shorty had their hands raised appeasingly, trying to calm down some angry looking locals.

"Really, I can't leave you two alone for one hour! And mothers think they have any right to complain." The girl huffed loudly, being sure to catch everyone's attention. She stomped over and grabbed her subordinates by their arms.

"Sorry for anything these di'kuts did. They have a habit of getting in trouble." She twisted to smile at the nearest person, tugging at the two clones' limbs. They began slowly creeping toward the door.

"I hope they didn't cause you too much trouble?" Twitch smiled again, sweetly...gently.

She was putting up a rather unusual front, completely different from her standard self, as though emitting a seductively calming air.

"They did, actually." A blue male Twi'lek took a step toward them.

"Well, I really am sorry. I hope you'll forgive them." Her voice became soft and girlishly innocent. The other soldiers' eyebrows hit the roof, dumbfounded at their sergeant's strange behaviour. They lined up with the door, tensing with the chance of escape.

As rookies on their first shore leave, Twitch had made it clear that if they ever got into a fight with civilians, they ran, or non-lethally made a way to run. No seriously injuring civvies.

"Well, maybe with some recompense..." The Twi'lek grinned while taking another stride toward them.

Twitch inwardly gagged while outwardly releasing a soft chuckle.

"Oh, maybe instead..." Everyone held their breath. "Run." You couldn't count on a single hand how many seconds it took for the soldiers to exit the building.

For a couple drawn out moments, everyone in the bar stood there as their brains processed what had just happened. Then they collectively made a break after the clones.

"What were you two thinking? The _one_ gang in this area! _The one_!" Twitch panted as they ran.

"We were thinking _find a nice place to wait while you talked to your informants_. We didn't know they were territorial!" Shorty growled.

"Well, you know now." It was a thirty klick tunnel, giving them an advantage over their pursuers, since a twenty klick run was a common morning workout, and the last ten kilometres would probably be far enough ahead that they could slow down.

"Do they have guns?" Wing gulped.

"Yeah, which is why we want to put as much distance between us as possible." Looking over her shoulder, Twitch could see the gang was nearly within shooting range.

She unsheathed her arm-blades and jabbed them against the wall every five steps, breaking wires that powered the lights.

Short jolts of electricity tingled through her arm, drawing out a pained wince.

§ § §

The gang had stubbornly stayed with them straight until the four clones exited the tunnel.

Unfortunately, the angry locals beelined for their speeders.

"I know we shouldn't hurt civvies, but at this rate wouldn't fighting just be the better option? We could always knock them out or stun 'em!" Wing cringed at the sound of nearly a dozen engines coming to life.

"And thus nearly every Kaminoan had a heart attack. No, at this point fighting them would be a death sentence. Best chance is to make it to a heavily populated area." The sergeant decided.

_Because even street slums like these know better than to attack in the open, _Twitch thought grimly.

"They're gaining on us." Shorty alerted.

"Okay, see that speeder up ahead of us?" Twitch flicked her chin to indicate the vehicle. "Fritz, I'll show you how to hot-wire it. Everyone else be sure to not get killed."

§ § §

RETURN TO MAIN FLASHBACK

"So, you stole a civilian vehicle?" Fox asked.

"Yes, sir." Twitch was leaning against a wall, resting her leg. The commander was similarly posed.

"And after that–after a street race with the gang–it somehow exploded, and you four led them on a wild chase through the senate district before losing them in the sewer system."

"That's about it, sir." Shorty was trying not to grin at the ridiculous truth.

"I'll leave your punishments to Captain Rex." A familiar pair of Jaig eyes walked into the room. The guilty party scrambled to attention, saluting.

"You four get in some strange messes." Rex grumbled, visor mainly tilted towards Twitch.

She produced a guilty, _'oh, um...hi, there...' _smile. "Um...oops?"

§ § §

FLASHBACK END

There was a collective wave of snickering from the younglings.

_I remember you doing that,_ Tail murmured. _Didn't Rex have you scrubbing the engine room for a week?_

_Yes. Definitely not the best shore leave, _Twitch replied.

"That actually happened?" An adult Trandoshan hissed drily.

"We're soldiers, not perfectionists." The sergeant grinned.

* * *

_A.N. ~ Chapter Twenty will get here when it gets here, but soon ;)_

**MANDO'A DEFINITIONS AND PRONUNCIATIONS: **

**Luubid: [loo-BEED] enough**

**Sheber: [SHEH-bair] sit (verb)**

**gar: gar [gahr] you (sing. and pl.), your**

**ehn: [ayhn] three**


	11. Boot Camp, Day 1

_A.N. ~ sorry that took a little while, but here's Chapter Eleven. Please R&R!_

* * *

"Nope." Twitch said, turning on her heel without slowing down, as if she'd been walking in one direction the whole time. Tail caught the collar of her shirt.

"You're not _scared_, are you?" Lantana goaded.

"Scared, no. Sick to death of it, yes." The first part of commando training was to test and see wether the soldiers could withhold information from enemy torturers or not. They would be tortured to the brink of death.

"Well, you'll have to put up with it one more time. Then, if you get captured again, you can feel free to escape as soon as you can."

§ § §

"Now, what's your favourite colour?" A droid asked. These weren't the types of question Twitch had expected.

"Oh, that lovely shade of not your business." An electrified prod was jabbed into her ribs.

"How old are you?"

"Gesundheit." She'd been making witty remarks for twenty minutes, ever since the torture started.

"What is a weakness in the clone army?" That was more like the things the teenager had thought she would hear.

"Um, let's see...popcorn?" The difference between when the large slugs had tortured her and now was that the slugs had merely hurt her for amusement, so she stayed silent because it was what would irritate them the most. This droid wanted information, so giving it nothing useful, yet still talking, would be the most provocative thing she could do.

The droid whacked her with the prod.

"Answer truthfully."

"What?"

"You can hear me. Be honest."

"I can't hear you." Twitch tried to shrug in her containment field, but it didn't work.

"Be honest!" The droid thundered.

"Oh, that? No!" The sergeant shook her head. The machine grabbed a hot poker. "_'Oh, no! It's a hot poker! Whatever shall I do?' _Said myself never seriously." It pressed the hot metal into her cheek. Her breathing sped up and became ragged and she became rigid.

"Is there a weakness in Naboo's defence?"

"Chimichangas." She grunted. The poker moved to her palms. A splintered second of a peep escaped her lips.

"What is your name?"

"Nothing that concerns you." The poker slid down the skin of her arm. She was wearing a sleeveless belly top.

"Name!"

"Nada."

"What are key points to Kamino's defence?"

"Why? Are you going to kill the long necks?"

"Answer me."

"I'm thinking of a word with two letters. The first is 'N', the second is 'O'. Can you guess what it is?"

"No."

"That just proves how stupid you are." Her cackle turned into a yelp as the poker touched her belly. "Kriff! You actually know how to use a poker!"

"Perhaps you should answer me before I move on to the Malrunwa Spiders."

"Oh, you've got some of those little devils? Great! I wonder what I'll see this time. Come on, I'm curious! Get the spiders!"

§ § §

"Is she even taking this seriously?" Lantana sighed as she watched Twitch thrash around, screaming from the venom of a red spider.

"Apparently not." Alpha-17 murmured.

"The others don't seem to be taking this very well, except Tail. He's lasting longer."

"He was exposed to some of Dooku's brutalist torture techniques. It nearly killed him."

"Is that where Twitch got her scars?" The clone shook his head.

"No, those are from five to three years ago, when Dooku captured her. She was tortured for two years before escaping."

"So that's why we aren't making a proverbial scratch. Why does she hate Tiku so much?"

"One moment..." Alpha began tapping on the datapad he had with him, sifting through Twitch's files. "He was the Jedi in command of the Vhalan Campaign. Twitch pointed out that his plan was probably diving them into a trap. She was right, and Pyro Squad got captured by Dooku. The Sith tortured every member to death except Tail, who managed to shut down his body and appear to be dead."

"That would do it."

§ § §

"That sucked." Twitch mumbled. Everyone in her new squad, as warned before it started, had been tortured within an inch of their lives.

She was in the med bay, getting a final check up on the table beside Tail's. She still had cuts and bruises, since the couple days in a bacta tank had only partially healed her.

"You can say that again. I can't believe you managed two years of worse." The scout agreed.

"This was probably worse for you three. You're not as used to it." Lantana swatted Twitch's head, sneaking up on her clone. "Ah, what?"

"Did you even take that seriously?" She demanded.

"Um...no, not really."

"And why not? With your past, you should've been terrified!" Fett demanded.

"With my past, that was just a couple day's sessions. It wasn't really much of a problem. What are you trying to accomplish with this conversation, by the way?"

"I want you to understand the importance of this training."

"I know it's important. Look, do you want me to laugh in the face of danger or fill my pants with osik?" Fett sighed.

"No doubt you're my clone, that's for sure."

§ § §

"Okay, spill it. You've been tortured before, you're a clone of Lantana Fett, and who the kriff are you?" Hazard asked.

"Like you said; the clone of Lantana Fett." Twitch growled, limping toward the refresher.

She was tired, sore, hungry, and didn't feel like explaining herself yet again. The older clone blocked her path.

"At least explain a little." He said.

"There's nothing _to_ explain. Lantana's DNA got mixed up with Jango's, twenty six hundred clones of her were made, only a few dozen weren't killed off, end of story." She sighed, trying to move past her squad mate. He moved with her. "What do you want from me? A biography?"

"A quick version."

"No."

"Just—"

"No!" She snapped, cutting him off. "It's not your business, you don't need to know, move."

"That tone means she's one sentence away from hurting you. Just move." Tail called from where he was painting his new armour.

"But—"

"If curiosity is your only reason, then move." Twitch once again interrupted. Hazard reluctantly stepped out of her way.

"What's up with her?" He asked once she'd closed the refresher's door.

"The harder you push, the more she closes up. When she wants to, she'll tell you." Tail spoke again without looking.

"Was she always like that?" Streak asked from his bunk inquisitively.

"Since we met. Not quite sure about before that." Hazard sat on his own bunk.

"What do you know about before that?" The scout looked up sharply, glare startling the younger clones.

"She'll tell you about herself if she wants to. You won't get me to say anything, and you should respect Twitch's wish. Don't ask again." They nodded mutely. Tail's sharp voice returned to its usual tone. "What I _can_ tell you is that she never takes her grudges from the barracks onto the battlefield, though, she can be prone to disappear without telling anyone what she plans on doing."

"How long have you two known each other?" Hazard asked tentatively, hoping not to set the older man off again.

"Over two years." No hesitation in the answer, no pause to tally it up.

"You seem to always know what she's thinking. You said she was scared when Tiku was here, but she looked angry." Streak commented.

"Her anger was just more noticeable. As for what she's thinking, that's something I don't usually know and don't really want to. If you look at a situation as a whole, it's easier to predict what she'll do. How she does it is anyone's guess."

"Thank you for summing that up. I'm going to the Mess." Three heads swivelled to look at Twitch. Her hair was damp and she looked exhausted as she shoved on her boots and stalked out of the room.

§ § §

Having nerf steak for dinner didn't damage Twitch's mood further, though she could have lived without the continuous wayward glances everyone seemed to be throwing her.

_They seem to think I won't notice if they wait twenty seconds, _she mused.

"Y'know, I'm still feeling that spot where you elbowed me." A clone sat down across from her, a yellow-green bruise visible if his jaw was examined carefully.

"The joke prior to said elbowing was more than enough to warrant it." She stated calmly, taking a bite of steak.

"Sorry. Didn't catch the name last time." The teenager examined him before inwardly sighing.

"I'm Twitch. You?"

"Scorch. The other guy with me was Sev."

"Yep, I'm just the 'other guy'." Another clone sat down.

"Exactly." Scorch agreed dismissively. Sev swatted his brother's head, getting an elbow to his ribs in reply.

"This di'kut hasn't been bothering you more, has he?" Sev asked.

"No." The door opening caught Twitch's attention. Tail stumbled in, hand clenching his right side, and he collapsed. The teenager leapt out of her seat and rushed to the scout's side.

"Ugh, this isn't the med bay." He grunted.

"No, di'kut, it's the Mess Hall. What's wrong?" His sister chastised.

"Don't know. Kriff, it hurts." Sweat glossed Tail's forehead. He was running a fever when Twitch checked, and shivering.

"Well, you're in pretty crappy shape. Come on, let's get to the med bay." She tried helping him up, but his legs buckled.

"What's wrong?" Scorch and Sev walked over. Most everyone was watching.

"Not quite sure. Could you guys help me get him to the med bay, please?"

§ § §

"Ruptured appendix?" Twitch repeated incredulously. The medical droid nodded. "Wouldn't the bacta tank have taken care of that? He was in one for two days recently."

"It is a rare phenomenon, unlikely to happen again. His appendix is being removed within the hour."

"Then he'll be alright?" She checked.

"He will spend the night in a bacta tank to recover from surgery, but yes."

§ § §

Tail floated peacefully in a bacta tank. He'd been put in only five minutes earlier. Twitch entered the room and sat down cross legged on the floor in front of him.

"Hey, vod. You've still got four hours in there, so I'll just keep you company." He blinked. It was already late, so he would expect her to be sleeping.

He lifted his arm and pressed the tip of his finger against the glass, using Morse code to speak for him. Three short taps, short long short short, one tap, a pause and another short tap, finished with one short, two long, and one final short tap. In all, it spelled SLEEP.

"Eh, sleeping's overrated. Besides, someone has to be sure you don't mix up our quarters with the Mess Hall." He crossed his arms and glared, then tapped two more words. BED, and NOW.

"Nope. You're stuck with me." Tail decided to compromise.

_'Sleep here'_, he told her.

"Mm, you're going to be stubborn, huh? Eh, fine, but you better sleep, too. We're both heading back to training in the morning." She leaned against his tank, crossing her arms and bending her legs to support herself. Tail smiled before closing his eyes.

* * *

_A.N. ~ 'Malrunwa' is draconic for 'nightmare'. I can be "so" creative sometimes. I'll start working on the next chapter. It shouldn't be more than a week, but no promises.  
_

**MANDO'A DEFINITIONS AND PRONUNCIATIONS: **

**Osik [OH-sik] dung (impolite)**


	12. Boot Camp, Day 2, The Killing House

_A.N. ~ hello! Not been _too_ long, huh? That's all I've got to say. Ciao!_

* * *

"Terrorists have planted a bomb. Find and disable it." Lantana ordered over the comm.

The Killing House was aptly named. Antiterrorist training was dangerous at best, deadly the rest of the time.

"Wait, what?! How do we do _that_?" Hazard yelped.

"We find the bomb, for starters." Twitch replied, beginning to walk down a corridor.

"Wait, you know there'll be terrorists waiting to ambush you." Streak pointed out.

"Exactly." The teenager singsonged. A terrorist – a human-shaped droid painted black – leapt out from a door two feet in front of the girl. Her hand shot to its neck and she tripped it, knocking the threat onto its back and disarming it. "Now, about this bomb. Where is it?" She asked.

"You're not gonna make me talk, sweetheart."

"Gah, even droids now, too?" She unsheathed her arm-blades. "Tell me now, quickly, before I start cutting off fingers."

"No." She swiftly chopped all his left fingers, along with the tip of his thumb, off. As though it was really alive and in pain, the droid screamed.

"The other hand is next unless you tell me where the bomb is."

"Twenty fourth section! Twenty fourth section!" She cut off another finger.

"Don't lie. We know it isn't there."

"Well, too bad for you, then." Off went his remaining fingers.

"You still have thumbs. Want to lose those, too?"

"Should we stop her?" Streak asked, watching with the rest of the squad.

"And stop the show? Nah, my money's on her making him squeal within five minutes." Hazard shrugged.

"I'm not betting against that." His brother scoffed.

"Incoming!" Tail warned, whipping around and shooting a couple of terrorist droids. "Twitch, hurry it up over there!"

"Working on it!" She replied. A firefight between the small group of clones and terrorists broke out, the three older men covering their sister as she interrogated her prisoner.

"We don't have much time left!" Streak warned.

"Got it! Let's get to sector forty eight!" Twitch crowed, helping finish off the last of the attackers.

§ § §

"Oh, kriff!"

"Haar'chak!" Streak and Hazard yelped simultaneously. They found a very, very large bomb that had only a minute and a half left on its timer, slowly ticking away.

"Oh, fantastic!" Twitch sighed, carefully opening a panel while looking inside to be sure she didn't pull a tripwire. She found a clear tube with a whitish substance flowing through it. She located a black wire, gripped it in one hand, and swiftly kinked the tube, cutting off the liquid as she ripped out the black wire.

"Tail, keep this tube pinched. If the main flow keeps going, boom." She ordered. The scout held the tube while his friend tied it tightly in place with the wire.

"Terrorists in bound!" Streak alerted.

"Keep them off our backs." Twitch ordered, skipping past a green wire to cut a yellow one with her arm-blade. Her arm couldn't quite fit.

"Use this." Tail handed her his vibroknife.

"Thank you." She said while slicing the wire. "How's that timer looking?"

"Still moving." Her brother reported.

"Okay, then, it's down to the red, blue, green and white." She followed the white and found it was attached to the ignition, a tripwire. "Nope." She was sure everything was a trap except the blue and green.

"You've got thirty seconds, Twitch." Tail hissed.

"I've got two wires and one chance. This could be a double or triple or no bluff, so give me a sec." She scowled at the wires. After a few moments, something clicked in her mind and she cut the blue wire.

"Clock stopped. We're clear." The corporal sighed. Streak and Hazard sat down beside them, everyone panting.

"Where'd you learn to _do_ all that?" Hazard grunted.

"Nowhere. I'm self taught." The two clones who knew her less well froze, mouths open in their helmets as they stared at her.

"The terrorists have hostages." Fett announced. Another black droid stalked in. Tail readjusted his gun's angle on the floor and shot the machine's head with no more effort than crushing a bug.

"Okay, we have hostages to deal with." Twitch stood up, favouring her right leg.

§ § §

"Cages and a few guards. This has to be a trap." Tail grumbled.

"Has to. Hmm, see how those guards can walk right under the cages?" Streak asked.

"The cages with that nice, easy target where the chains meet?" Hazard smiled. Four chains were nailed into the corners of the prisons that twined into one large support.

"The cages that guards walk under with easy targets that we can lure them under?" Twitch added, evilly grinning.

"This still has to be a trap." Tail reminded.

"Snipers?" Streak suggested.

"Whoa, wait, where's Twitch?" Hazard asked. The teenager had disappeared.

"Okay, so, is she going for the prisoners?" Hazard asked.

"No, she's not _that_ insane. She's probably looking for the trap." Tail corrected.

§ § §

"Hi, there." Twitch said cheerily a splintered second before she beheaded the two terrorists who had been waiting in a slot, ready to jump out.

She slipped back into the narrow maze that reflected on the rest of the Killing House. The entire building was a maze, filled with smaller mazes and rooms.

After circling the large room holding the hostages, being sure she'd not missed anyone (the girl had already dealt with nine ambushers), she went to the side opposite where the terrorist guards stood, the dangling cages between them.

She looked around, but couldn't see the others, until a tiny flickering movement caught her attention. She pointed at the cages and held up her right hand, splaying it.

§ § §

"What does that mean?" Hazard asked.

"It means get ready to shoot." Tail hissed, taking aim.

A short whistle, a line from Vode An, echoed through the room. The guards turned and started walking toward Twitch, who was standing in partial view. Tail recognized that as the all clear signal.

The clones shot and the cages fell on the guards, killing or injuring them. The siblings regrouped in front of the cages, prisoners whimpering and begging to be released. Twitch cut them out.

"Final mission; escort the civilians to the exit." Lantana assigned.

"Then we can go get some grub." Hazard chuckled.

"Alright, four prisoners, four of us. Pairing up will probably be easiest in case we get separated or in a fight." Twitch said.

"Yes, ma'am." Tail smiled under his visor, knowing he was speaking out of habit and capable of stopping. The teenager gave him a short, withering glance.

"Not a ma'am." She muttered.

"You're always a ma'am during missions." He argued as they started walking, herding the civilians.

"Not n'amore. We're the same rank now, so you're going to have to live with calling me by my name."

"Wait, how was _she_ the superior officer and _you_ the subordinate?" Hazard asked. Tail looked at Twitch pleadingly, begging her not to be so secretive as to not talking at all about the past.

"You know what? You know what I don't want told. Go ahead and say what you like." She sighed.

"Funnily enough, experience-wise _I'm_ the rookie, here. She was a veteran before I was done my training on Kamino." The two younger clones looked at Twitch in surprise.

"How'd you get off Kamino in the first place?" Streak, curious by nature, queried. A terrorist droid jumped out, gun blazing. Twitch blocked the shots, rushed the machine, and killed it.

"Not in a friendly way. Several fights and three dead Kaminoans later, I hijacked a ship and got off planet." That got her more stares. A clone simply talking back to or hitting a Kaminoan was a serious issue. Killing even one was a sure bet for death.

"My leg hurts." One of the droid civilians whined.

"Well, we're almost there, so you can rest then." Streak said briskly.

_Boom. _

A screech of pain from the inquisitive trooper ripped through the air. Hazard grabbed his brother and everyone crouched. Something had blown Streak's left arm clean off.

A hollow thunk sounded and Twitch grabbed Tail's shoulders, pivoting herself in front of him. Her arm swung up as though to knock something away, but her gauntlet connected with a hard object a moment before an explosion knocked her over, burning her chest and back.

"Ow. Hazard, how's Streak holding up?" The girl wheezed.

"We need to get him out of here _now_." Hazard stated firmly.

"Okay, Tail and I will take the civvies and cover you. You get him to the door." She decided, grabbing and shoving Streak's charge behind her with the other droid she'd been keeping track of. Tail took the other two droids. The scout also grabbed Streak's dismembered arm.

§ § §

It took some elbow grease to get everyone out, but the squad of commandos pulled it off. By the time they'd escaped, Streak was unconscious, bloody, and in bad condition.

A medical team was waiting for them as they walked out. Hazard deposited Streak on a gurney, Tail adding the arm. Lantana walked over, compassion and sorrow momentarily crossing her face before she hardened her features.

"Tomorrow's an off day." She stated before leaving. Streak was already gone, rushed to the med bay. The thunk of Hazard's fist meeting the wall didn't surprise his squad mates. Tail put a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Get cleaned off and check on him. He'll be there." The scout murmured. The younger clone left without a word.

"Kriff. We didn't survive this long just to be hurt like that in training." Twitch growled, looking at the wall with a mix of anger and contemplativeness, making her seem like she was debating wether or not punching it would be a bad idea."

"No kidding. Heading to the gym?"

"Yeah. I need to hit something and the wall isn't it. What about you?"

"I'm going to shower and clean my armour. Sparring later?"

"After we check on Streak. I really hope he stays unconscious until they can get him in a bacta tank."

"_If_ they put him in one." The corporal countered bitterly.

"_Don't!_...say that. He's training as a commando. They won't kill him." She snapped. Momentary fear had edged her voice.

"Right. You're right. He'll be alright."

§ § §

Hazard didn't come back to the quarters. It turned out Streak was going to have to get a cybernetic replacement for his arm and spend several days in a bacta tank.

Twitch's knuckles had once again been bloody as she returned to he barracks and showered.

"You've gotta stop doing that. You're going to break something." Tail commented as she walked out of the refresher in her night clothes; light, loose pants and a loose long-sleeved top.

"Eh, maybe I'll stop when I break something." She shrugged, looking over Tail's chest armour. Over the left breast, as he'd said, were the names of Pyro Squad's members, etched into the black paint.

"Di'kut." He scoffed affectionately.

"I'm glad you're in one piece, too."

"Hey, did you get some bacta for those burns?" He asked.

"Ehhhmmm..." She evasively sat down on her bunk, placing her gauntlets on the floor beside her.

"That's bordering 'or'dinii'. What if they get infected?"

"Then you can say _'I told you so'_. I'll visit the med bay tomorrow."

§ § §

Twitch woke in the dead of night. Her eyes were wet from watching her squad die again. She tossed and turned in attempts to fall asleep, but gory images kept flashing in her mind.

"Twitch, you awake?" Tail whispered. She sat up.

"Hmm? Yeah, why?"

"Mind if I come over to your bunk?" She blinked slowly.

"Um, why?"

"I, uh, I just...never mind." He mumbled. The scout could feel himself blushing.

"Come on, spit it out." She teased, trying to distract herself from Dinger's torn body.

"N-nothing." Her brother insisted.

"Come on, Tail, you know you can tell me anything." It was an overused line, but still a true one.

"I-it was just a bad dream. Like I said; nothing." The thought of her grown brother wanting to share a bed like a frightened child nearly got Twitch laughing, but she remembered that he wasn't used to nightmares, and what he saw in his dreams was likely as unpleasant as what she was seeing regularly.

"Come here, vod." She offered gently. A suddenly extra vivid image of Fritz's big, dark eyes begging her to end his life nearly got her crying.

Tail sitting down across from her startled the teenager. In the dim light, she could see shiny trails running down his cheeks.

The girl could feel a pain where her heart was. She hated seeing her brother in any distress. If she listened carefully, she could hear his unsteady breathing.

Twitch swung her legs around so her feet rested on the floor, making it so Tail could sit next to her. Once he scooted next to her, the sergeant pulled the blanket up around them.

"Sorry if I woke you." He broke the silence.

"Nah, I was having nightmares, too. Want to talk about it?"

"No." She leaned against him, slinging an arm around his shoulders. After a while of Tail trying to hide and stop the tears, Twitch bumped her head against his shoulder.

"You don't have to hold it in." She murmured. That was the breaking point and tears slipped freely down the older clone's face and his solders shook.

The teenager began crying as well, heart aching for her friend and lost squad mates. They stayed close and cried together until sleep took them.


	13. Boot Camp, Days Three And Four

_A.N. ~ sorry for the wait! Please enjoy the new chapter!_

* * *

Lantana went by the barracks to talk with Twitch early in the morning, but stopped short at the door of her trainees' quarters.

Twitch and Tail were cuddled up, the older's head on top of his sister's whose head was on his shoulder.

It was a position Lantana and Jango had often fallen asleep in. Seeing a younger version of herself with a youthful version of Jango sent a pang of loneliness and loss through her. Fett left feeling greatly unhappy.

Hazard came by later and also saw Tail and Twitch. He suddenly realized the closeness of their bond. That made him think of Streak, who was still in a bacta tank, in pain. The young clone quickly showered before leaving, casting one final glance at his squad mates.

When Twitch finally woke up, she knew they'd overslept. Being kept awake for two hours in the middle of the night did that to people.

For a moment, she thought Tail was still asleep, but then she felt something cold and wet land on and slip down her neck.

_Oh, kadala solus, I wish I could heal your broken heart, _she thought sadly.

"You're awake, huh?" The scout asked shakily.

"How're you holding up?"

"A bit better." She straightened her head, twisted around, and hugged Tail, surprising him. She let go just as abruptly.

"Well, then, what do you wanna do today?" She asked.

"It feels like a lazy day." He pondered, inwardly grinning at the hug. His little sister definitely didn't do bad in the cheering up department.

"Hmm, now that you mention it..." She snuggled down under the blanket again. "It's a bit too chilly to get out of bed." He stared at her in confusion.

"But...it's room temperature in here. Are you running a fever?" Twitch smiled, biting her lip in amusement. Then the joke registered. "Oh, oh, right. Yeah, it does seem a bit nippy. Better stay in bed, or we could catch a cold." He made a big show of getting comfortable, making Twitch snicker.

"You know, it's already ten. We're probably gonna have to wait 'til lunch to eat."

"Ah, well." With perfect comedic timing, his stomach growled. "Kriff." He swore as more rumbling noises protested to his indifference.

"I see your stomach feels that way. We should go check on Streak later. Probably trade off with Hazard so he can eat."

"Yeah, we'll go just before lunch starts." Tail agreed.

§ § §

Hazard looked up tiredly at the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Hey, we'll keep him company if you want to go eat and sleep." Twitch offered. He glanced at Streak, who nodded encouragingly, before standing and leaving.

"So, bored yet?" Tail asked causally, looking to his brother. Streak nodded.

"Remember all the hand signals?" The scout sat down on the floor. The injured man looked down and slowly shook his head.

"We cn fix that, if you like." Twitch sat beside her friend.

§ § §

"I thought that meant 'dodge'." The girl muttered.

"No, it means 'pivot'."

"But you said 'dodge' when you taught me."

"Nope."

"But—"

"Nope." Twitch opened her mouth. "Nope." She punched Tail's arm. Streak was grinning in the tank. The corporal caught her in a headlock and she rolled backwards, popping free.

"Nope." She laughed.

"Wait a minute..." Tail poked her cheek, catching a burn. His sister jerked away with a yelp.

"I said I'd visit the med bay. I never said anything about letting medics get near me."

"Medic, find, now." He pushed her towards the door.

"Yes, mother."

"Di'kut."

§ § §

Streak was glad Tail and Twitch had come to visit, and not just for Hazard's health. The pair were very amusing and seemed to be genuinely trying to keep his spirits high. They were succeeding, too.

He'd also underestimated their relationship. They weren't merely squad mates or friends, they were brother-and-sister-by-choice.

_He looks like Dodge with that face... _Tail thought sadly.

The mechanic had preferred thinking to fighting, and the expression Streak currently wore had been almost alway plastered on his dead squad mate's features.

Someone swatted the back of Tail's head. Twitch sat down beside him.

"Good to see you, too." He muttered.

"I was pretty noisy coming in. It's your own fault for not hearing me." The scout glowered.

"Your version of noisy is called breathing."

"And yours is called clankers. Y'know you're going to have to learn to listen."

"My HUD listens for me."

"And what if your HUD gets damaged, genius? You can't always rely on it to survive. I know you're capable of getting along without it."

"On what basis are you staking this?"

"The last couple months. I recall you not having any armour to depend on in that holoroom."

"See, that's what I meant about you always winning arguments by getting calm."

"Yes, you're in my head. I'm still concerned about your survival since you don't seem to understand you get killed by completely relying on tech." Her words were far from empty. After experiencing war firsthand, you don't use words like _die_, _kill_, _hurt_, or _injure_ lightly.

If someone said 'killed', they usually weren't speaking idly.

"Way to keep the mood light, genius." He teased, patting her head before grabbing the top of it and pushing her over. The teenager yelped in protest and tried sitting up, but Tail leaned his hand on her shoulder.

"Ah, I must prove my point, then? Very well, let us see how long you last without your HUD in a sparring match." She quipped slyly, smiling.

"No fair! How am I supposed to beat you? It takes a kriffin' ARC or Jedi to win sparring matches with you."

"I know, but since my words clearly aren't getting through, I figure beating the lesson into you is the only other option."

"I hate your teaching methods."

"Heh, you sound like Spitfire. Come on, Streak must be bored to tears listening to the two of us squabble like old ladies." They glanced at their squad mate. He was too busy laughing to protest.

"Ugh..."

§ § §

"See, there's a reason we did this in a room next to the med bay." Tail moaned.

"Sorry! Did I break anything?" Twitch crouched beside him.

"My pride, mostly. Possibly my willingness to ever spar with you again."

"Oh, has the little child upset the copy? Boo, hoo." A mocking voice taunted. The teenager shot to her feet to face Tiku.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be? I'm sure you have better things to do rather than harass other people."

"People." The Jedi spat.

"Ugh, you really are like Krell, aren't you?" Twitch sighed, inching herself so she stood between Tiku and her brothers.

"You have no respect for your superior officers."

"You're an officer, but you aren't superior to me. I respect people who deserve it. You got my squad killed."

"So? Plenty of Jedi have lost troops!"

"True, but other Jedi regret their losses. You brush it off as the loss of expendable tools." Tiku laughed, long and cruelly.

"The other Jedi are fools! Krell wasn't completely off target in some fields, he was just stupid enough to push you clones too far." The crunch of the cameras breaking sent warning signals racing through the soldiers.

Twitch unsheathed her arm-blades. Tail backed up against the bacta tank, knowing better than to get in the way. Streak watched intently, knowing their lives could be in danger.

"So, now what? Kill us? That would seem awfully suspicious, the cameras appearing to be broken of their own accord, like some invisible force crushed them, and us turning up dead with lightsaber marks? It's no big secret you and I don't get along." An orange lightsaber lit up the room.

"You seem to have thought of this scenario before."

"Of course I have."

"Then you know what happens next."

"By all means, see what happens when you push a little girl too far." They squared off, but Twitch refused to let her opponent circle around to reach the other clones. She moved with Tiku, forcing him to face her and her alone.

The sergeant snuck a hand behind her back and quickly tapped out two letters in Morse: _T_, and _I_.

_Shaak Ti. She wants me to get General Ti, _Tail realized.

The Jedi and young soldier locked into combat, but Twitch seemed to be losing ground at an unusually fast pace. Then a clear path to the door seemed to open up. The corporal swiftly looked to see Twitch in a deadlock, her back to the path so she was between him and Tiku.

The scout made a break for the door and managed to get outside. He collided with Hazard and they sprawled onto the floor.

"Tail! What—"

"Do not go in there. Tiku's flipped and he's fighting Twitch. We need to find General Ti _right now_."

"What?! Is Hazard okay?"

"Yes, but Twitch can only last so long against a Jedi."

§ § §

"Ha! You're an even worse fighter than Krell was! May not even need any help to deal with you!"

"You wouldn't kill a Jedi."

"You're not exactly a Jedi anymore. I have no problems with killing traitors."

"Even your own brothers? I hear you wouldn't even _injure_ Slick."

"You got into my profile? I had direct orders from my COs to not seriously harm him. You should know that." Twitch leaned backward to avoid the lightsaber and rolled to gain more space.

_He's not as fast as usual, but he's strong. Way stronger than he should be. Even for a Jedi, this is ridiculous._

_That little brat. How dare she be so insolent. I'll tear that defiance out of her, along with her heart!_

§ § §

"Tiku! That is enough!" Shaak Ti thundered. She was ignored and Twitch had to back up more. The teenager realized they were getting close to Streak's bacta tank and forced herself to go on the offensive.

The two fighting people broke apart before charging each other once again. They were slammed against a wall, held by the Force.

They were both panting, but Twitch was shaking with exhaustion and didn't even have the energy to look up.

_Fighting Savage for an hour had been easier than going against Tiku for half of one._

"You...must be on something... What the...haran is making you...so strong?" The teenager gasped. Tiku only laughed in response.

"What happened?" The Togrutan demanded.

"The little brat attacked me when I came to visit the injured trooper." Tiku said quickly. Streak slammed his fist against the glass of the tank and shook his head angrily.

"That's rich, Tiku, really. I'm sure you had to crush the video cameras to simply visit." Twitch smiled as Ti looked over the crushed machinery.

"There will be an investigation. Until then, Tail, Twitch, you are confined to your quarters. Tiku, the same goes for you."

§ § §

Tail had to help Twitch make it all the way back to their quarters, seeing as she could hardly stand without the support of a wall.

"I swear he was on something. You don't just get that strong. He made Savage seem like a stick-armed wimp." She mumbled, flopping onto her bunk.

"I think you might be exaggerating, but he did seem unusually strong. At least, physically."

"Yeah, he's a pretty pathetic assassin. He didn't even find something besides a lightsaber to kill us with. That was one of the worst thought out kills I've ever seen anyone try."

"So speaks the little ninja."

"Meh." She didn't have the energy to argue with her brother. He sat down across from her on his own bed. Twitch was asleep the next time he looked over to speak with her.

§ § §

"I wouldn't do that, sir." Tail whispered. Alpha raised his eyebrow, bent over Twitch as he prepared to wake her.

"Why not?" The ARC's hand touched the tossing child's shoulder. She sat bolt upright with a hand wrapping around the man's neck, her other arm drawing back in preparation to punch him.

The blackness in her vision cleared, but the girl had to take a couple seconds to comprehend the situation before relaxing her grip.

"S-sorry, sir." She muttered.

"It's fine. I'm supposed to be asking you two about what happened yesterday."

"Alright." Twitch stood, then sat back down to rest her aching leg. Tail resisted the urge to sit next to her and stayed put.

"First of all, I need to know you two won't lie."

"It would work faster that way." Tail agreed, his sister nodding.

"Alright then, how did the fight start?"

"That might've been partially my fault. I was less than respectful when Tiku came in." Twitch scratched the back of her head.

"Tiku started taunting us. It snowballed into an argument that led to a fight." Tail explained.

"And who all was doing the arguing?" Twitch slowly raised her hand, inwardly grinning like a sheepish schoolgirl.

"Guilty as charged, sir. However, it should be noted that Tiku has a mindset a lot like Pong Krell's. We clones aren't living beings to him; we're expendables."

"Hmm. Recite the argument as best you can." The two younger clones looked at each other before nodding.

"Aww, did the little girl hurt the copy's feelings?" The scout's voice was startlingly similar to Tiku's and Twitch narrowed her eyes.

"Don't you have things other than harassing people to do?"

"People." The clone sounding disturbingly like the Jedi.

"Ugh, you really are like Krell, aren't you?"

"You have no respect for your superior officers."

"You're an officer, but you aren't superior to me. I respect people who deserve it. You killed my squad."

"So? Many Jedi have lost troops!"

"True, but other Jedi regret their losses. You brush it off as the loss of expendable tools."

"The other Jedi are fools! Krell wasn't completely off target in his field of thinking, he was just stupid enough to push you clones too far."

"That's when he broke the cameras." Twitch looked at Alpha before returning her attention to Tail. "So, now what? Kill us? That would look pretty suspicious, the cameras appearing to be broken of their own accord, like some invisible force crushed them, and us turning up dead with lightsaber marks? It's no big secret you and I don't get along."

"You've thought of this scenario before, haven't you?"

"Of course I have."

"Then you know what happens next."

"By all means, see what happens when you push a little girl too far."

"And then they started fighting."

"You should have that guy tested. I think he's on something." Alpha nodded before leaving.

§ § §

"If you're going to explode, do it in the shower so we won't have much trouble cleaning up." Tail instructed.

"Very funny. By the way, when did you learn how to copy voices like that? You sounded almost just like Tiku." Twitch glared before resuming her pacing.

"I practice every now and then. Usually when I'm alone."

"But...why?"

"Would it not be helpful if one could imitate the voices of his enemies? It could be very useful in some instances." The scout took up Dooku's voice.

"Agh, please not him. Anybody but him."

"Right, sorry." The doppelgänger for Anakin Skywalker's voice mumbled.

"Five credits say you couldn't recreate the voice I have in mind right now." He crossed his arms.

"And which would that be? Do tell."

"Commander Tano's."

"You'd win five credits...if I had any."

"Eh, it wasn't a serious bet, anyway."

"What did you two do?" Lantana stormed in.

"Survived a close encounter with Pong Krell's successor. Next question?" Twitch replied, just as sharply.

"You need to take this seriously. A traitorous Jedi is far more hazardous than any other turncoat!"

"I know! The good thing here is we can contain him easily. I'm more worried about what he's been doing before he attacked us."

Fett sighed, cooling off. "Alright, you're on track. Tail?"

"I'm on board." He nodded.

"Now, what exactly happened?" The prime clone asked.

So, once again, the attack and pre-attack was explained. It ended with Fett leaving, ready to kill Tiku herself.

"Ah, she _does_ care about clones." Tail commented.

"Who'd've thunk?" Twitch smirked as she propped her pillow against the durasteel wall as a makeshift punching bag. Tail tossed his over so she could use it as well.

* * *

_A.N. ~ I know, I rush things, but I wanted to get past the Tiku issue. Y'know, before I broke my hand punching a wall or something out of dislike for anyone who's mental makeup resembles Krell's. Bye, now!_

**MANDO'A DEFINITIONS AND PRONUNCIATIONS: **

**Kadala: [kah-DAH-lah] wounded, hurt**

**Solus: [SOH-loos] alone, vulnerable, each, one, individual (the one I underlined**** is the one I meant)**


	14. Boot Camp, Days Five, Six, and Seven

_A.N. ~ okay, seven chapters since a painful procedure that I must repeat._

_Some rancors are red, some rancors are blue, I don't own star wars, and you probably don't, either._

_The usual rhyme is already worn to the point well past death. Goodbye!_

* * *

It took a little while, but Tiku eventually confessed and the Jedi Council ordered him to be transported back to Naboo.

The next day, it was back to training for Hazard, Tail, Streak, and Twitch. Streak was one arm short, since his replacement was in the process of being made.

Twitch tackled him to the ground, behind a boulder to get them both out of the way of blaster fire. There was a large holoroom specifically for the training and assessing of their combat skills.

With only one arm, the clone was having trouble handling his DC-15S blaster.

"Try this instead." The girl handed her brother one of her DC-17s. He looked at it unsurely through his visor. "The only difference is its lighter and has a bit of a jerk when...and you already know this, don't you?"

"Um, yes." He replied with a breathy laugh. "But thanks." He took the offered weapon and Twitch picked up the discarded '15S, turning the safety on so she could hold it in her left hand without the worry of shooting herself in the foot. A droid popped up beside them and was quickly shot down.

"You two having a picnic over there?" Hazard called.

"With blaster cake and plasma drinks." Streak retorted, popping up over the top of the boulder to shoot some droids.

"Oi, what happened to your '15?" The daring clone asked.

"Temporary compromise." Twitch explained, standing and waving the weapon in question with her left hand and shooting with her right. They were in a simulated forest, next to a stream that had boulders dotting either bank. A waterfall was up ahead, droids lining the top.

"We've got clankers coming in from north to northeast." Tail warned.

"I'll take care of them." Twitch assured. The next time Streak looked to his left, the teenager wasn't there.

"Ugh, how does she do that? My HUD didn't even hear her leave." He muttered over the helmet-to-helmet comm.

"Not sure." Tail shrugged.

§ § §

Twitch jumped from her tree onto a droid and cut the SBD's arms off before hopping down and cutting it in half.

She ducked back into the underbrush as the remaining droids opened fire, circling around before jumping out and destroying three B1s, then hiding again. She repeated the technique over and over, until no droids remained.

With a small nod of satisfaction, she began to head back. Or at least, tried to. The moment the sergeant turned around, she was sucker punched by something. Three commando droids spun from the lower branches before charging, shooting all the while.

Twitch blocked and refracted the shots before engaging in the close-combat maneuvers she'd grown accustomed to. Commandos may have started out challenging, but now she knew their attack patterns and how they moved, making it easy for her to kill them quickly. Her comm started beeping.

"Twitch?" Tail's tone asked.

"Tail, what's up?"

"Oh, a pair of magnaguards. Are you still busy over there?"

"No, I'm on my way. You three be careful. Those staffs could be set to kill."

"No sit, Sirlock." He teased.

"Go jump in a river." She heard his chuckling before the transmission ended. "Di'kut." She started running back to her brothers.

§ § §

Fighting one magnaguard was bad enough, but dealing with two meant no time for Twitch to even think. All she could to was act and react, relying on instinct to avoid the staffs.

Backflip while blocking one staff, shove that one to the side and block the other before ducking and rolling away, then dive roll over the nearest weapon and backflip again.

"Streak, Hazard, mind dealing with the tinnies on top of the waterfall?" Tail asked.

"Have fun with the big clankers." Hazard chuckled. The scout began taking potshots from across the stream. He wasn't causing the droids much damage, but he distracted them enough to buy Twitch the time for cutting one's head off.

She dodged the second, whose staff collided with the first's chest, giving the young soldier a chance to cut first's torso deeply. She picked up the electrostaff and hefted it ponderously.

Before the teenager could decide wether or not to discard it, the remaining droid brought its weapon down toward her head. She blocked using the staff she'd pilfered, both hands clenching the metal. Her arms shook. Then an idea popped into her head and she willingly collapsed onto her back.

She slid the shafts of the electrostaffs and leaned her head quickly so the tip of her opponent's dug into the ground instead of her skull, while her own weapon plunged into the chest of the magnaguard. She stood and sliced it into three pieces, just to be sure it was done for.

"Commando droids in bound." Streak called from fifteen feet away. Twitch sighed, tired enough without more sparring problems, but slowly began stalking toward the four droids.

Three were completely focused on her, so only one of them survived the volley of laser bolts Hazard and Tail had sent to help the girl along.

§ § §

"Hmm, Twitch has a very independent mindset. Perhaps ARC training would suit her better." Alpha pondered.

"I doubt she'd accept that if it meant separation from Tail." Lantana shook her head. "Nah, she goes solo a lot, but it's generally in order to open up a way for the rest of the squad. It's still teamwork, just a little wider spread."

"That was my second reason for why not." The clone watched Twitch quickly dismantle the commando droid.

"What was the first?"

"Like you said; she wouldn't be separated from Tail for the world."

§ § §

Twitch limped into the Mess Hall, forcing her uneven gait to smooth out as she walked. She didn't want anyone paying her attention. Unfortunately for her, the slight telltale speed with which her right leg moved gave away the weakness she sought to hide.

The teenager was dog-tired, as were Streak, Tail and Hazard who were already waiting in line for their food.

Tail left his spot and moved to the back without a second thought.

"Hey, ner vod." She greeted with a small smile.

"Hi. I'm glad you came when you did. I needed an excuse to avoid the food for a bit longer."

"Heh, that bad today, huh?"

"Worse than breakfast." That earned a suppressed gag as they swiftly moved up.

"What are we eating?"

"The bare necessities; protein, starch, and protein."

"Yum." Pale goop, white stuff, and more goop was put on their trays. The two went to the table Hazard and Streak were at.

Tail was just about to sit down beside Twitch when they stopped, examining the anticipative stares of their squad mates, then the completely innocent smiles that replaced them.

The two still standing looked at their seats suspiciously. Twitch poked where she was planning to sit down, the edge of the bench, the underside of the table, and where she would set her tray. It seemed to be alright, dry and clean.

"What did you two do?" Tail asked, doing the same as his sister.

"Nothing!" Hazard grinned again.

"Uh-huh." Twitch went as far as looking at the ceiling. That cut it and the possibly guilty pair began silently laughing, snuffling as they tried to avoid causing too much noise.

Tail's eyes darted to the table top, wondering if anything was on the floor beneath. He and his sister finally, reluctantly sat down, putting their feet on the floor hesitantly.

"So, how do we tell if you two are just messing with us or not?" The sergeant asked.

"Has anything unpleasant happened to you yet?" Streak murmured.

"Not that we know of." Tail shrugged.

"We're only messing with you." Hazard promised.

"That's good to hear. I take it we won't know if there's actually a trap until it's sprung?" Twitch guessed.

"Unless you take precautions like you just did. But we'll avoid Mess Hall pranks...for now." Hazard's explanation didn't put them at ease.

§ § §

Specialized training. The part of commando training where if you're a sniper, medic, mechanic, scout, explosives technician, or any other kind of extra-curricular soldier, you exercise that skill until you have reached your maximum potential.

If you have no specialty, this is where you'll find one. Twitch, obviously, was put in explosives training. Tail had scouting, naturally, and seemed to take an interest in medical work, much to his and Twitch's surprise.

Hazard was a sniper through and through, not surprising anyone, since his main weapon was a DC-15A blaster rifle.

Streak, new cybernetic arm now attached, had a curious nature, and was drawn to mechanics. He'd originally been refused mechanic training due to the large pool of clone mechanics already out there, but due to being a commando-in-training, he finally could have it his way.

"Alright, so, what do you know about explosives already?" Scorch asked. Delta Squad had been asked to help Lantana since she was not as well versed in some areas.

Fett would be dropping by to add any advice she had for each member, though explosives weren't up on her list of expertise.

"Eh, not very much. I just tend to know what's what when I look at the inside of a bomb."

"Hmm." He popped outside of the holoroom before coming back in. A large bomb appeared in the middle of the space. It was a replica of the one that had appeared in the Killing House. "Well, then, you have two minutes to defuse this."

Twitch followed the steps she'd used, though the blue and green wires had been switched, as had the yellow and white. She didn't fall into the trap and beat her earlier record of one minute and four seconds, getting this time forty nine seconds.

"And you just knew that, without anyone ever teaching you?" Scorch crossed his arms incredulously.

"Well, this is a lot like the bomb in the Killing House, but no, I've never had a teacher."

"Well, then, let's get started on grenades."

§ § §

"That was the wrong wire..." Scorch mumbled, slowly standing up. The holoroom wasn't set to kill, but the force of the simulated explosion had still knocked the pair back into a wall.

"I noticed. What's worse is I should've known that was the wrong one."

"Everyone has moments where they think _'why did I do something like _that_?'_."

"Hmm. So, try that one again?"

"One sec..." The demolition veteran popped his head out the door. "No, actually, it's halfway through dinnertime. Better call it a day." They left, turning off the holoroom, before heading to the Mess Hall. A short wait in line and quick walk to an empty table found them quietly eating, then sitting I'm silence. Eventually, Scorch started up a conversation.

"So, riddle me this; a kid fighting in the war?"

"Well, partially insane kid, but who's checking? Eh, I was in the one a little over a year ago, too."

"But...why? You're just a kid."

"I never liked Separatists, never had anything else to do. Even if I had a different life as an option, I'd rather keep fighting."

"I'm not gonna get a straight answer, huh?"

"_'Whys'_, _'whos'_, and_ 'wheres' _are kind of mixed up in the _'don't tells'_. Sorry." Her apology was genuine.

"Everyone has their secrets. You just have a lot of them, apparently."

"That's a good way to put it."

"What's a good way to put what?" Tail asked, sitting down next to his sister without invitation...not that he needed one.

"How secretive she can be." Scorch shrugged.

"Oh, her stubbornness about anything past yesterday could be dubbed legendary." The scout waved a dismissive hand.

"So could his ability to use the natural senses he was born with." Twitch shot back.

"And that wasn't sarcastic at all." Tail muttered lightly before starting into his food

"Exactly. I'm always sincere."

"Like how you were sincere when we were jumped in a simulated alleyway." Scorch guessed.

"Right."

"Aw, you really do like her." Sev teased as he sat down beside his close brother.

"Yep, we even blew up together." Twitch smiled.

"Now you're creeping me out." Tail mumbled.

"What? Explosives training isn't always perfect, you know." She defended.

"Yeah, Scorchy here only burned off his eyebrows." Sev smirked.

"And Vau's. Don't forget I got his as well." Scorch added helpfully.

"Vau?" Now Twitch was curious.

"Our training sergeant, Walon Vau. Hand picked by Jango himself." The explosives expert swelled with pride.

"One of the Cuy'val Dar, wasn't he?" The teenager checked.

"How'd you know that?" Tail asked.

"I'm basically a ninja, and I'm nosy. Next?"

"Little ninja." He growled irritable.

"_Semi_ little, ner burc'ya."

* * *

_A.N. ~ Next chapter whenever I finish it. 'Til next time!_

**MANDO'A DEFINITIONS AND PRONUNCIATIONS: **

**Cuy'val Dar: [COO-ee-val dar] "those who no longer exist"**

**Burc'ya [BOOR-sha] friend (also used ironically)**


	15. Last Game For A While

Weeks of specialized training, simulated scenarios and torture finally ended in the completion of Tail, Twitch, Streak, and Hazard's commando training.

"Well...that was interesting." Streak said.

They'd just received commando medals, and had been left alone with the warning that they had a transport to Naboo in five hours.

"That's one way to put it. If I never see a torture tool again..." Twitch muttered, sitting down on her bunk and massaging her leg.

"It would mean the impossible happened and our luck improved." Tail sat across from his sister.

"Thank you, mister cheerful." Hazard teased. "We only just completed training equal to ARC troopers'."

"He has a point. We should let ourselves be happy for at least a little while." Twitch smiled, allowing herself a small glow of pride.

"Congratulations on passing your training." A gravely voice said at the doorway.

The teenager, currently on her back and scrunched up against the wall nearest the door, rolled backwards and to the side, landing on the floor feet first and unsheathing her arm-blades.

A white, female Kaminoan with black eyes was standing at the entrance.

"I thought you might've been executed for imperfection. Looks like I was unfortunate enough to be wrong." Twitch spat.

"So much hostility when I came to give you a warning." The Kaminoan put a hand to her chest.

"And why would _you_ of all people give me a warning?" The young soldier asked dubiously.

"Because it would be a shame if a long-lasting specimen like you was killed. I simply thought I should tell you that the price on your bounty has greatly increased. It would be no surprise if a larger number of bounty hunters started coming after you." The native walked away without another word.

Twitch punched the wall once she was sure no one outside was within earshot. A muttered stream of curses and insults in Mando'a preceded her beginning to pace like a caged wildcat.

"Twitch, who was that?" Tail asked.

"Ko Sai." She said curtly, abruptly stopping and sitting down on her bed. She fingered her sore knuckles, wincing at the bruises she knew she'd feel in short order.

"And you clearly don't like her more than any other Kaminoan you've met." He prompted.

"She used to be the head scientist. I'm sure you can put the rest together." She sighed before trying a small smile. "Sorry, guys. That was kind of mood whiplash. Back to being happy?" They nodded, and Tail smirked.

"Hey guys, toughen up." He ordered. Twitch snickered, but Hazard and Streak just stared.

"Old joke." The girl explained. Tail took the liberty of adding the backstory of where it came from.

"I thought I heard you mentioning Krell and Umbara a few times." Streak furrowed his brow curiously.

"Yeah, only a few. It isn't a favourite subject for anyone who was there." The sergeant shrugged.

"Are you all _trying_ to make this a less happy day?" Tail sighed, glowering.

"Absolutely." Hazard grinned.

"Think fast!" Tail dodged a pillow. Scorch chuckled in the doorway. Delta Squad had become friendly with the ex-trainees, so visits like this weren't unheard of.

While the older clone wasn't looking, Twitch hurled her own pillow at him, hitting the man's face square on.

"_You_ think fast." She laughed, then yelped. Being in the rectangular indent of her bunk, she had no room to dodge and her own pillow got her in the head.

Hazard and Streak were grinning, just watching the show.

"Well, Boss told me to tell you lot about the dodgeball game in holoroom nine, but I think it'd be best if you stayed here. It wouldn't be nice of us to ruin your celebrating by kicking your shebs." He joked.

"Oh, really? Is that what you think?" Hazard crossed his arms, showing mock anger.

"I think we may need to correct that line of thinking." Streak took up his close brother's air.

"Challenge accepted, Scorchy." Twitch said.

§ § §

Dodgeball was a well-liked game among the commandos. It was more or less safe, a good exercise, a means for friendly competition, and practice for dodging fast-moving objects.

The rules for the game were simple:

_1. If you are hit by a ball, you are out until the round ends, or the person who hit you is taken out._

_2. If you catch a ball, the thrower is out until the one who caught the ball is hit or the opposing team defeated._

_3. All shots count except for ones aimed at sensitive areas (head not one of them)._

_4. The game runs by an honour code. If someone gets hit and the thrower is unsure of contact, the other person must be honest about wether he/she was hit or not._

_6. You can block another person's ball with the one in your hands._

_7. Don't be a sore winner or loser._

That was about it for rules. The last was a more often than not unspoken one, but every now and then, someone had to be reminded.

Delta Squad and Twitch's squad had a fairly even track record with wins and losses, though the former of the groups was currently in the lead.

Sev and Hazard usually went after each other first, seeing how they had a grudge match over who was the better sniper. Streak and Fixer, the latter also a mechanic, went after each other due to likeness of minds. Tail and Boss were often against each other, and Twitch was happy with going against Scorch, since he joked that he was faster than her. She was determined to prove him wrong.

The final pair generally ended up being the last ones standing as a near-definite rule. Scorch was fast after practice with explosives. The same could be said for Twitch, except that she was always relying on speed as a survival tactic.

That's where her disadvantage came into play. The teenager was used to blocking projectiles, but since her arms could be counted as a hit area, she could only dodge.

Now the two squads were busy dealing with each other. They were using their favourite holo setting; a forest whose trees' fruits were the dodge balls.

Twitch was in the higher branches, jumping here and there to avoid Scorch's shots.

Streak was darting from tree trunk to tree trunk as he tried to hit Fixer, who was doing exactly the same.

Hazard and Sev were tossing from either side of a river, running and throwing at the same time.

Tail and Boss were sneaking around the forest, trying to creep up on the other to get a potshot.

It was all out playful war.

"Ah, kriff, could someone hit Fixer for me?" Streak asked over the comm. Each squad had one so they could communicate without the opposing party knowing their plan.

"I see him. Hang in there." Tail assured. Twitch could see the mechanic, stalking around as he looked for Tail. A ball whizzed by his shoulder and the man whipped around.

The teenager threw from her vantage point and hit Fixer square in the back, making him take a couple steps.

"Fixer's out. You're clear, Streak." Twitch said aloud, letting her comm deal with getting the message through.

Meanwhile, Sev and Hazard were at a stalemate. They both were halfway up a waterfall, one hand holding onto the rocks and the other a ball. If one of them threw, they could easily miss or be blocked. If they began climbing, that would make them open to attack.

"Well, this is a fine mess." Hazard chuckled.

"Give up?"

"Not on your life." A whistle caused him to look down. Boss was lining up to throw. Sev took his shot while the other clone was distracted.

Hazard recognized his mistake the second his eyes left the other sniper, so he dove down into the river below, narrowly escaping the two balls that could have easily hit him.

Tail leapt out of the bushes and threw his ball into Boss's shoulder before diving in after Hazard.

"I'll get them." Sev promised. Boss nodded sat with a wave.

Scorch, having lost track of Twitch, and Streak, lacking the other mechanic to deal with, were throwing and dodging among the massive trees.

The former dive rolled behind a trunk before leaning out and tossing his ball. When that failed, he threw another straight up to distract the young mechanic before throwing a third ball.

He missed, and a teasing whistle made him look up. Twitch waved the ball he'd used as a distraction; proof that she'd caught it.

The amusing part was she was hanging upside down, both legs wrapped around a tree branch.

What had happened was the sergeant had jumped, caught she ball as she flipped upside down, and only then latched on. She grinned and Streak shook his head in amusement.

"Well played, ner aru'e." The downed man called, sitting while asking his squad mates to hit the young girl.

"Sorry, vod, Boss and Fixer are down, too. It might be a little while." Sev reported.

"Twitch, we only have Sev left to hit. Tail and Hazard are dealing with him at the river." Streak called. The young soldier quickly scaled down the tree.

"Well, we best go help take care of him, then." Something suddenly hit Streak in the back; another ball. Twitch dove into cover.

"Hey, did anyone get hit by Streak?" Scorch asked.

"No, Tail and Twitch are the ones we have to get, those fekkin' ninjas." Boss grumbled. Lantana came walking out of the bushes, hefting another ball in her left hand before passing it to her right one.

"Which team are you on?" Twitch called, already reaching the lower branches.

"My own."

"Um, guys, Fett joined the game and she's a rogue. Watch out." Twitch muttered over the main comm channel before returning to her squad's exclusive one.

"Wait, 'Fett'? As in Jango Fett?" Scorch asked on a private channel to Twitch.

"Fett as in Lantana Fett. She's Jango's sister." The problem with where Twitch was then was that anything she threw could be caught. It was more in her style to wait until her opponent threw, then catching their ball instead.

"I didn't know she was on Kamino." Scorch thought aloud.

"How did you not notice? She was only our training sergeant this entire time." Twitch chuckled, remembering how proud the man had been about being trained by someone who was hand-picked by Jango.

"Oh..."

"Streak, I'm going to help the others take down Sev, then we can all three of us take care of Fett. Okay?"

"Sounds like a plan." He agreed. The teenager climbed above the forest canopy, out of sight, before jumping to and from the slender limbs like a squirrel.

§ § §

"Tail, watch it!" Hazard shoved himself in front of the scout, taking the ball Sev had thrown.

The younger sniper knew Tail had hit Boss, so keeping his squad mate up had been higher priority than his own in-game survival.

"Thanks, ner vod. I'll get him for you." With that promise, the older clone ducked into the trees.

"Tail, look up." Twitch ordered over the comms. He took cover behind a trunk and did as he was told. Very high up, half-hidden by leaves, was Twitch's head. He smiled, knowing they had the element of surprise.

"Lead him past here. I'll hit him from behind." She directed.

"Good plan, as always."

"Go east. Fett might be coming in from the south." And then his sister's face all but disappeared.

From Sev's point of view, Tail was almost his, then he and Boss could deal with Twitch and Fett. He noticed the other clone darting away and gave chase. The solid impact of a ball hitting his arm stopped him. He slowly let go of the two balls he was holding, then sat down.

"Nice shot, Twitch." Tail praised.

"That wasn't me. Take cover, now!" Lantana raced past Sev, far too quickly for Twitch to aim and throw accurately. She stopped to throw at Tail, but the moment she paused, Twitch threw. First, Tail was hit, then the prime clone, getting Tail up, though Boss was now active as well.

"Okay, everyone hit by Sev Tail, or Fett is up." Twitch announced over the main comm. "In case anyone is confused, that means Boss, Sev, Twitch, Tail, Streak, and Hazard are all active." She added. Tail took cover as the sniper stood, grabbing his ammo.

"Wait, how is Sev up?" Boss asked.

"Fett hit Sev, then someone else hit her."

_You and Sev are now against a full squad of recently dubbed commandos, _she mentally added mischievously.

"Well, this should be interesting." Boss stated, somewhat wryly, though it wasn't very hard to tell it was a good-natured comment.

§ § §

Tail hit Sev after Twitch had used herself as bait, and Hazard managed to snipe Boss while the other members of the squad distracted and surrounded him.

Lantana congratulated her former pupils, and Delta Squad were good losers. They, of course, were a little irritated that a bunch of 'rookies' managed to hand their shebs to them, though not on a platter, as the saying went. The win wasn't quite _that_ clean.

"Heh, only six games behind us. We might be losing our touch, Boss." Scorch joked. It was true, the veteran squad was ahead six games.

"Six, huh?" Boss scowled at the floor. The two squads were off to the Mess Hall, though Fett had refused the invitation to join them.

The scores hadn't pleased everyone, either.

_Twitch: three hits_

_Tail: two hits_

_Hazard: one hit_

_Streak: no hits_

_Boss: no hits_

_Scorch: no hits_

_Sev: no hits_

_Fixer: one hit_

_Fett: two hits_

No one in Delta Squad was pleased, though they'd won many times in the past against the other commandos. Fett couldn't compare herself to them because she had left, but Twitch was proud to have gotten the highest number of hits.

Usually, the snipers had the highest scores, then came everyone else. Of course, hits didn't necessarily mean an actual hit. Catching counted as a hit as well.

The eight clones entered the Mess Hall, two at a time, the winning team getting in line first. This was arguably an act of revenge as much as a reward, but when you spend that long playing dodgeball in a holoroom, any food is alright.

Twitch and Tail got their food first, then Hazard and Streak. Fixer got his food next, then the rest of Delta Squad according to who got hit the most or easiest. It was a small penalty, though, so no one could really get too upset about it.

"Well, then, off to Naboo, huh?" Scorch asked.

"In a couple hours." Tail glanced at the chrono. Twitch breathed a few words of Mando'a under her breath. Streak managed to catch_ 'not again'_ in there.

"Grief, are there any planets that you don't hate?" He asked.

"They're an endangered species. By the way, anyone know how long it'll be before we can get shot at again?"

"Dunno." Hazard shrugged. The two commando squads squashed onto one of the tables.

§ § §

On the transport, Twitch curled up like a cat in one of the corners where a bench and wall met, promptly falling asleep. It didn't take long for the others to do the same.

Before they'd come aboard, in the hour and a half left, everyone had showered, packed up, and said their goodbyes, not all in that order.

All four clones were exhausted, and this was the first time in a while they knew they could sleep in.

The copilot, a rookie, and the pilot, a veteran, noticed the nearly instant silence.

"Aren't those commandos?" The shiny asked.

"So I heard. Look like they haven't had a decent sleep in weeks, though."

"Part of training? They have to be able to last longer than normal troops, right?"

"I can imagine that's what it was."

* * *

_A.N. ~ yeah, I know that was a bit of a different chapter, but I wanted to explore a bit, so I did. I'll begin working on the next chapter, but I have other stories to write, too, so no promises. Bye!_

**MANDO'A DEFINITIONS AND PRONUNCIATIONS: **

**Aru'e: ah-ROO-ay] enemy (noun)**


	16. Celebrating's Hazards

_A.N. ~ heyo, sorry it's been so long since I updated. There were some technical difficulties, but they're fixed, now! So, I won't keep you from the chapter any longer. :)_

* * *

_Naboo. I should have known it was inevitable, but I hoped to never come here again. This blasted planet..._

Twitch had been silent ever since they landed. She couldn't help but remember the worst from when she was here.

Seeing the little girl whom she considered her sister dead and mangled. Being shot twice, once resulting in the loss of her womb. Watching another clone, Ajax, being beaten on her account. The place where she nearly lost her brother-by-choice. This planet was as bad to her as Geonosis was to other clones.

Now the squad made their way through the large military complex, heading for an area specifically set aside for ARCs and commandos. There had been a lot of construction branching off of Theed since the Infecteds took over Coruscant.

The Infecteds were once regular citizens, but an unknown source had spread a virus. Those who were infected went rabid within twelve seconds and bit the nearest person, who would also be infected and act accordingly.

A Besalisk Infected had been captured and paralyzed by Twitch, Spitfire, and Fives during the initial outbreak, and was the scientists' main test subject for cures and research. A cure was yet to be found.

Tail grimaced as he remembered what had happened to Bark, Fritz, Shorty and Decker on one unfortunate mission.

They had been escorting a scientist, but a group of Shaliz'Na Infecteds, all of which had a higher degree of intelligence than any Infected known, had attacked their LAAT/i gunship. Only one had gotten in, but it infected the four men and gave Twitch a concussion as she tried to shoot it.

These unpleasant thoughts plagued them straight until they were in their new quarters with the standard bunks most troops had.

"Hmm, Tail?" Hazard asked. He'd been talking, and asked the scout a question. The problem was, Streak had been the only one listening.

"Oh, uh, what?"

"I was thinking we could go get some drinks later. I hear 79's was relocated here."

"Sure. Twitch, coming along?"

She shook her head. "I'll go with you part of the way, but there's somewhere I need to visit."

"Oblique as ever." Hazard joked.

"And it's as non-oblique as I'll get on this subject." She growled, placing her guns and belt into a cubby and dropping her duffel bag next to the bunk farthest from the door.

Her belt had multiple new pouches and loops on it, now. Knives of varying sizes lined where her left hip would be for wire cutting. One pouch had bubblegum in it, because that trick actually worked every now and then. Another small pouch had a coil of thin, silver wire that could conduct over two thousand volts at a time, though in that instance would burn up. Those were only some of the handy tools added to her belt that any demolitions expert would want.

She slipped the smallest knife up her sleeve, under her left gauntlet.

"You're not planning on finding bombs, are you?" Streak teased.

"I never plan on not finding something I wouldn't want to." She replied.

§ § §

"Well, it's definitely nicer than Coruscant." Streak commented. "Don't know what you don't like about it, Twitch." He looked over his shoulder to see that the teenager wasn't beside Tail anymore.

"How does she do that without making a sound?" Hazard grumbled, not for the first time.

"No idea. If she wants to leave unnoticed, though, she will." Tail replied.

On Twitch's end, she was quickly moving through alleyways. There were two places she wanted to visit. The first was a hut in a dirty, dusty, large backstreet.

She knocked on the frame and waited with a hand on her hip until a man came out.

"At this time of day..." He was mumbling.

"Yeah, Plyke, it's _only_ late afternoon." She sighed.

"Hey! Twitch!" He bear hugged her. "You know anything short of mid-evening is too early for someone like me."

"Mph, I remember." Her arms hung limply until he released her. "Things've been going okay for you?"

"Well, as okay as they usually are. I almost got a job last week!"

"A job, huh? Hmm, I must've stopped at the wrong hut..."

"Well, we can't all be tough soldiers like you. How's that squad of yours, eh?" Twitch's face instantly fell.

"Not good. I'm in a new squad, now."

"Hmm, get demoted, did you?"

"Promoted, actually. Changing the subject, hear anything good lately?"

"Oh, eh, not _good_, but better than nothing. Some guys in one of the pubs two nights ago were complainin' 'bout about the thefts happening off in Jungo District. Lot of shops getting hit by robbers, but that's about the most activity I've heard of in a good long while."

"Hm, pity. I was hoping for something I could interfere with." Twitch stoked her chin with one hand, elbow cupped in the other.

"Well, ain't no laws against you taking on burglars and the like."

"I'm pretty sure Captain Panaka would appreciate it if I didn't mess with things the local police might have a plan for. Thanks, though. I heard about an event for people who could use a nice, free meal over in the Kiko District. Tomorrow at noon, apparently."

"Ah, that's my girl, always got her friends' backs." Jeph ruffled the teenager's hair.

"Yep, that's me. Well, I need to go, but thanks again for the information."

"And polite! You're a fekking wonder!"

"Heh, bye, Plyke."

§ § §

_Moment of truth, Twitch. You've got to face them. You know you do. It's your fault Aris is dead and you need to take accountability for it. Come on, hut'uun! Lift you hand - good - and knock!_

The teenager finally did as she told herself, knocking on a large door. She cringed at the loud noise it made.

"Coming!" A woman cried. Every muffled footstep sounded like thunder to the nervous girl, and the click of the wooden barrier being unlocked sounded like an avalanche.

Then the door opened, putting Twitch face to face with a auburn haired, green eyed woman. The girl opened her mouth, but the sound of skin hitting skin stopped her. Saundra Lynn slapped the younger woman once again.

"I'm open to punches, but I'd avoid the cheekbones, if I were you." Twitch murmured quietly, willingly ready for any form of punishment the woman could deal.

"No, I think I'm done. Come in, Twitch."

§ § §

"Tsudek is at work, but he should be here within half an hour." Saundra said while pouring hot water into a couple of cups. The smell of peppermint filled the air.

"Okay... Saundra, why haven't you kicked me out, yet?"

"Because you didn't kill Aris."

"But I'm partially responsible for it."

"Thus why I hit you. But you caught Jeph, too, so I only slapped you. You didn't kill him, though, so I slapped you twice."

"Oh, believe me, I tried killing him first, but a couple of Generals ran interference and made me take two other soldiers. I couldn't kill him because of extenuating circumstances. This, of course, is no excuse."

"Hmm." They drank the tea in silence. Once they finished, the older female spoke. "How's your squad?" The tight, formal tone Saundra used, as though they were strangers, cut Twitch to her core, but she replied, anyway.

"Alright. Out getting drinks, at the moment."

"I see." Twitch stiffened, hearing heavy footsteps that suddenly became quiet as they approached the room.

"Hello, Tsudek. If you want to hit me, I can turn around so you'll get my face."

"Stand up and face me." He quietly ordered. She did as told and waited for the expected blow. Instead, she was surprised to be engulfed in a warm hug.

Tsudek was large, broad shouldered, and dwarfed just about anyone he met, so you can imagine what it was like for Twitch at that time.

"Just so we're clear, will there be any form of physical harm beyond suffocation?" The teenager wheezed.

"Not from me."

"I'm sorry. So, so sorry." She whispered, once again remembering the shining blue eyes Aris had and the sweet laugh that used to fill the house. The man let her go.

"It's not your fault. Not really. I take it Saundra's done with venting her emotions?"

"Yes." The loud cry of a baby startled them.

"Right, I need to feed Jessie." Saundra pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead in forgetfulness. Twitch froze, then smirked, then grinned, and finally dissolved into laughter.

"What?" Tsudek asked.

"Haha...oh, I'm sorry! Hehehee, it—" she cut herself off and started breathing, giggling a few times. "Sorry, I just better not tell the other Jesse about this."

"_'Other Jesse'_?" Mrs. Lynn asked.

"Heh, yeah, Jesse is a buddy of mine in the 501st. I haven't seen him since the first Clone War." Tsudek snickered at the explanation, and Saundra huffed, trying to not show amusement at accidentally giving her daughter the same name as a clone trooper.

§ § §

"Um, is someone calling you?" Saundra asked. Twitch was holding Jessie. She handed the baby over to Tsudek and activated the device.

"Twitch, here." She greeted.

"Ugh...Twitch? We...uh, we gonna need you here t'be sure we don't do somphin' stupid on our way back tuh th'barrack..." A clone slurred.

"Tail, is that you?" She sighed.

"Nah, Tail's passed out, th'light drinker. I jus borrowed his comm."

"Heh, he never was one for drinking much. I'll be there soon. Where are you?"

"79's. We're drunk, but we aren't dumb."

"Oh, the dumb part'll kick in soon enough. See you soon." Twitch turned off the comm, groaning. "Great, three drunks, one passed out. Sorry, but I need to go make sure those di'kuts don't get themselves into trouble."

"It's alright. Go take care of your friends." Saundra smiled. "But visit, because we want to see at least a bit of our second daughter while you're on-planet." Relief seeped into the young soldier and she nodded.

§ § §

Twitch entered 79's with more than a few incredulous glances thrown her way. She spotted Hazard and Streak quickly, though, since they both were holding a Tail up by either arm.

"You three. I leave you alone for two hours." She _tsked_ and shook her head disapprovingly, like an irritable mother.

"Good see'n you, too." Hazard mumbled.

"Come on, back to the barracks." Streak threw Tail over his shoulder, and Twitch took his free arm in one hand and grabbed the other conscious man in the other.

She led them to the door, ignoring the undisguised stares. A couple cat calls made her roll her eyes, but they got clear without any real fuss.

"This is gonna be the last time you guys get this drunk, right?" She checked.

"Pr'mise." Streak slurred.

"You so nice." Hazard smile, wrapping an arm around Twitch's neck.

"Personal space, vod." She wrinkled her nose at the stench of his breath.

"I thought this usually happened the other way around. Guess I haven't been out much." A man greeted. A street lamp showed an eyepatch and black hair.

"Captain Panaka. Sorry, sir, but I'm afraid I can't quite salute at the moment." Hazard ran into a pole, causing her to start chattering in Mando'a and lunging to grab his arm. "Agh, di'kut."

"Sorry." He grumbled.

"I take it you'll be alright getting back to the Military District?" Panaka asked.

"Yes, sir. Hazard!" She yelped, mortified as the drunk man hugged the captain.

"You nice man." The incoherent clone laughed.

"This," the teenager growled as she dragged her squad mate off the other man, "is what I meant about the dumb part kicking in. Don't hug superior officers."

"Um, are you certain you can get them back?" The Captain straightened out his rumpled shirt.

"Yes, but if I can't, I'll make sure they don't get jumped 'til they wake up. Thanks for your concern, though, sir."

"Not at all. Now, I must be going." It wasn't until a good deal of time later that she wondered why Captain Panaka had been where he was.

§ § §

Hazard, Tail and Streak woke up pretty late in the morning, just before lunch. Thankfully, they had nowhere to be at that time, so they could just sit and nurse their hangovers.

Then they noticed the signs around their necks.

Hazard's said, _'I got so drunk I ran head first into a pole, then hugged Captain Panaka, then ran into a doorway. I am not an easy drunk to deal with'_.

Streak's said, _'I got drunk and had to carry my brother home, but aside from having to be led by my fifteen year old squad mate, I did alright. I am an easy and quiet drunk'_.

Finally, Tail's said, _'I passed out and had to be carried back to base by one of my brothers. I can't last long enough to become any type of drunk except the unconscious kind'_.

A note on Twitch's bunk said, _'I had to herd two drunk men, one carrying a third drunk person, (being sure they didn't get arrested by Captain Panaka, or any other authority figure), through two districts, sneak them into base, and get them to bed without a fuss. Do not get drunk like that again, you kriffin' di'kuts. Also, I was up all night being sure no one choked on their vomit. (I'm looking at you, Hazard.) I'll be asleep on the roof of the third communications tower if I'm needed. If I'm not, do not wake me up, because then I might have to kill you'_.

They read each sign twice. Then they sat in silence, looking at everyone else.

"How drunk were we last night?" Streak finally asked.

"Way, _way_ too drunk." Tail mumbled. A knock on the door skyrocketed their headaches.

"Ugh, _not so loud!_ Come in." Hazard snapped.

"Post-graduation celebrating went too far, did it?" Another clone asked while opening the door.

He stopped and read the signs slowly, a grin inching its way across his face. He spotted the note on Twitch's bunk and read that. He began laughing. Three pillows hit him, and he stopped.

"Who are you?" Streak asked blearily.

"Fives. I came looking for Twitch, but apparently I need to have a death wish to talk with her at the moment. Anyhow, you three are going to miss lunch. It'll be starting soon."

"Pass."

"I'll live without."

"Maybe later." They said simultaneously.

§ § §

"And what are you doing up here?" A clone's voice woke Twitch up. She grumbled and rolled under the overhang farther.

"Lemme sleep." She protested.

"What is a civilian child doing up here?" The voice repeated, its owner grabbing her shoulder and partially dragging the teenager out.

"Agh, let go before I take off your hand. I'm just trying to sleep. And I'm not a civvy." She glared at the other soldier, but her eyes were readjusting to the light, so she couldn't see who it was that was bothering her.

"You're only a kid."

"This is a topic that's been worn out beyond the point of death, just don't question it."

"Why don't I let Commander Fox question it?"

"Or you could ask someone who already knows this, like my squad, instead of making a big fuss."

"Come on, then."

"Oh, no, I spent all last night keeping three people in line after they had too much to drink. I'm sleeping."

"Come on, kid." She grabbed her, and she stood with his hand, tripping and grounding the clone quickly.

"I am tired. I am cranky. I am sleeping. Go ask the squad in barrack 12E, commando wing, if Twitch is a soldier or not."

"Commandos? Give me a break. Now, you're coming with me, in case this is a wild goose chase."

"Will complying get rid of you any faster?"

"Yes."

"Then get up and walk quickly. The weather's too good to be wasting proving my point to other people."

§ § §

A knock on the door caught everyone's attention. Fives had been conversing with the three other men, waiting for Twitch to get back.

"Come in." Streak called. A clone with red-marked armour opened the door. He tried putting a hand on Twitch's shoulder, but she swatted it before he could reach his mark.

"The kid says she's in this squad?" The clone asked.

"Yes, actually, she _is_ a commando. Rank?" Fives asked.

"Infantry troop."

"Grief, even if I wasn't a commando, I'd outrank you!" Twitch grumbled, stalking to her bunk and sitting down with a huff. "Get back to what you were doing, double time." Her tone was that of a drill sergeant's, though with more of an edge to it than usual.

"Yes, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am." The poor trooper snapped off a salute and hurried away.

"Ugh, di'kut." Then realization flashed across her face. "And a di'kut, myself. Hi, Fives." She twisted to face him.

"Hey, Twitch. You were busy last night, what with writing embarrassing signs, and all."

"Oh, you saw that, huh? Yeah."

"If we didn't owe you our shebs, we would be planning so much nasty payback." Hazard grumbled.

"Hey, it's not my fault you hugged Panaka. Or ran into a pole. Or the doorframe."

"Well, you're touchy in the morning." He teased. She made a rude gesture at her squad mate, only getting snickers in reply.

"So, it's safe to say you won't kill anyone in their sleep?" Fives checked.

"Never said that." Twitch grinned at the nervous expressions Hazard and Streak displayed.

"You guys do realize that she'd never kill anyone in her squad over something like this, right?" Fives chuckled.

"Yeah, but she can look kriffin' scary." Hazard defended.

"This isn't my scary face. My scary face is the one I wear when someone I want dead comes into the same room. Anyhow, has everyone kept their heads on straight in the 501st? Including you."

"Of course! In fact, Torrent Company's here on shore leave."

"Hmm, now that's news." Twitch pondered.

"Well, if you want to jump Rex, he's probably in the Mess Hall." The teenager glanced at Tail, who nodded, then at Fives, who gave his _do it _smirk.

"Well, if nobody minds, I have a captain to surprise."

§ § §

"Hello, Captain." Twitch said, mimicking Fives' voice. She'd snuck up behind him.

"Fives? I thought you were going to visit Twitch."

"She wasn't in. Something about sleeping on the roof of a communications tower." Rex didn't turn around as he got his food, and the teenager remained behind him, getting her own tray.

"What was wrong with her bunk?"

"Heh, her squad over-celebrated last night and she had to stay up for hours to get them back and keep them from choking on vomit, apparently. Even made signs that she hung around their necks."

"Well, I honestly didn't think she'd have to do that for a while." They reached a table and the captain turned around. That's when he saw who it was he was actually talking to.

"Morning, Captain." She teased in her regular voice, giving him a small salute before sitting down.

"Was Fives talking to me at all just now?"

"Nope, I'm just messing with you." He smiled at her grin.

"And doing a good job. I take it you're a commando, then?"

"Yes, though Tail and I both punched Alpha after the holoroom..."

"You met Alpha, then? Face to face?" She nodded. "I thought I told him to explain from a distance."

"Wait, what?"

"Alright, hear me out without breaking any of my bones, but Alpha called us in to ask a few questions and get second and third opinions on your and Tail's training."

"And how long, exactly, were you watching?"

"Middle of the snow landscape to the end of the mechanical one."

"Oh, really?" She crossed her arms, glaring at the table.

_This is the Mess Hall, and this is your friend. You can't punch him. Or kick him. Or slap him. Or yell at him. Or do _any_ kriffing thing to him._

"I am sorry." Rex looked her in the eye.

"So, you watched as I was tortured and Tail was injured multiple times."

"If you want us to leave so you can punch me, we can."

"No, I'm not going to punch you. I'm just wondering why you didn't stop him."

"I trust Alpha. Fives doesn't, though, and actually did try punching him a couple times."

"You must reeaally trust him."

"I'm sorry." Twitch noticed the guilt and pleading in Rex's expression.

"Okay, for now, we'll forget that until I'm ready to forgive you without causing physical injury. Better subject; how are you?"

"Alright, but not much has happened out of the ordinary."

"Boredom, huh?"

"Wouldn't call it boring, but 'routine' comes to mind."

"So...boring?"

"You're hopeless."

"Jury's out."

* * *

_A.N. ~ well, then, that's that. I'll try getting the next chapter up tomorrow, but I'll be a little busy with school and other stuff. I sincerely hope anyone reading this has a nice day/good sleep (depending on where you are :). Goodbye! _


	17. First Mission

Twitch had greeted Tup, Splinter, Jesse, Kix, and even Echo. Hardcase and Dogma had found her and Tail out to say hello, too.

As Twitch was visiting her friends, Tail had been meeting a few of his buddies. Finally, things began to settle down...until their fist assignment as commandos was given to them.

A group of clones had been scouting out some tunnels in a planet for Separatist activity, but failed to check in. They were missing, so it was the newly-made commandos' jobs to get them back.

"Terrisk, huh? Perfect." Twitch grinned, this time not being sarcastic. She always appreciated a place where she could come and go discretely.

"Mist and ninjas do go well together." Hazard teased.

"Meh." She shrugged.

"Meh, indeed. You forgot to add 'poor visibility' to that list." Tail chastised.

"Thought he covered that with the mist." Streak pointed out. They started walking out of the door.

"Alright, but anyone remember that the Negotiator is the one giving us a ride? And the Triumphant picking us up? The company's gonna be so boring." Hazard groaned.

"Hey, the Pack's not all that bad, though Wolffe could use a few more smiles..." Twitch corrected, wincing at the memory of a very stern face.

"No arguments there. Any defence for Kenobi's men?" Streak was interested in the differences between different battalions' mannerisms, so this seemed like a good opportunity to find out about them.

"Can't say I have one, on account of not spending much time around the 212th. Actually, it would be best if I didn't bring them up at all."

"Right, the rivalry that everyone knows about but pretends not to when generals are around." Hazard smirked.

"Yes, that... But the 501st does have more droid kills."

"Oh, really?" Streak asked incredulously.

"Er...they did last time we were there...three months ago..." Tail admitted.

"Three months, huh? What could possibly have changed in only three months?" Hazard joked.

§ § §

The Negotiator, despite being nearly identical to the Resolute, seemed foreign to Twitch and Tail. As a result, Twitch spent most of her time in the barrack assigned to her squad, only leaving for meals or late-night visits to the gym.

Tail and the others were comfortable walking around in their leisure clothes, since they wouldn't be given a second glance most of the time.

"Know what I've noticed?" Tail asked one night as he and Twitch sparred. The next evening, they would be dropped off on Terrisk.

"Do tell."

"It's been over three months since you've worn a belly top."

"New squad, not enough trust built up yet. Besides, we're on the Negotiator, not the Resolute." Streak and Hazard hadn't seen her scars yet, and the teenager was reluctant to let them.

"And you started caring about stares when?" They broke apart, panting.

"Look, it's not just the stares. I don't want to draw attention."

"Alright, why?" The scout crossed his arms. Twitch had been unusually finicky ever since they came on board.

"I'd rather not discuss it. Leave it at there're some people here I don't particularly want to talk to."

"Alright. Well, we should probably sleep. We've gotta go save some troops' shebs soon."

"Just avoid the cortosis."

"Ugh, I hated that stuff."

"You're not the only one."

§ § §

The massive cave the squad found was empty, except for the eleven seemingly unconscious clones lying near the wall opposite to them.

The area was well over a hundred meters high, though no one looked up, and very, very large. It was hard for them to calculate the complete distance, as the sides were cast in shadow.

"This _must_ be a trap." Streak hissed.

"No kidding. Where we can't see would make the most sense for danger to come from..." Hazard reasoned.

"Except that those marks in the stone don't go that far." Tail pointed to one of the nearest deep gouges, a trail that went two feet in length and was just over four inches deep, a couple inches wide.

"Kriff, that's big. Even roggwarts don't leave gashes like that." Twitch muttered, her arm-blades suddenly feeling like thin, ineffective sheets of flimsi.

"So what does?" Asked the mechanic.

"No idea." Tail peered at the still forms of the other clones, all of whom were too far away to tell if they were breathing or not.

"Well, we gotta do something..." Twitch reminded.

"We could grapple them over here." Hazard hefted his gun.

"And if some of them are injured? Broken ribs go into your lungs pretty easily." The girl shook her head.

"So our only option is walking in head first." Tail grumbled.

"Well? What are we waiting for? Back to back, facing the possible ambush points, let's go." Twitch shrugged.

"You sound like Hardcase." Her close brother teased.

"He's not as insane." They began inching out of cover, stepping carefully over ruts and dips, all not naturally made.

One of the clones shifted and looked up slowly, then waved his hand in a frantic manner.

"Is he telling us to _run_?" Hazard whispered.

"Alright, we need to get them out of here. Now. Are there any hidden tripwires that your HUDs can pick up?" The teenager decided.

"No. Are you really suggesting an all-out dash to them?" Streak replied.

"Usually, no, but it if something's scared them to the point of denying rescue, it's best to get this done quickly." They all paused to nod before dashing to the other clones.

"No, you have to run!" The man who'd waved them off gasped, one arm wrapped around his chest.

"We'll run with you lot in tow." Hazard asserted. Twitch began checking vitals, cringing to find only six alive. Just as they got the survivors awake, a thundering boom filled the air, vibrations rocking the ground.

In the middle of the cave, a massive white droid had landed, dropping from the ceiling. It looked as though it was made from metal bones, but two massive scythes were its forelegs. It's body was shaped like a skeletal centipede, though with more legs.

**(Look up 'Sword Art Online Skull Reaper'. That's what this droid is based off of.)**

"What kind is that?" Hazard gulped.

"The kind that could kill us all within two minutes if we don't move quickly. Hazard, sniper duty. Tail, Streak, get them out of here. We'll buy you as much time as we can." Twitch ordered.

"You're not planning on dying, right?" The scout asked.

"I'm planning on distracting it. Hazard, can your helmet record the battle?"

"Yes."

"Then do it. This might not be a one-of-a-kind clanker." Twitch charged the droid, signalling for the others to move.

She dodged a scythe and ran underneath the monster, jumping up and climbing onto its back.

She was around the middle of the long body, so unfortunately the head and massive scythes could twist around to claw at her.

_Since when are any droids flexible like this? _She nearly panicked._ Well, those millipede-shaped machines on Umbara were..._

She saw a flash and knew she couldn't avoid the blade. That left blocking. Twitch's arms pressed against her chest as the huge scythe locked against her own weapons, knocking her clean off the droid's back.

Hazard cringed as he watched her fly a good thirty feet horizontal to the floor before touching down and rolling for another ten. Tail and Streak watched through their helmets' wrap-around vision.

The girl was thoroughly winded, extremely sore, sure she'd fractured a rib (and was right, one of her left lower ones and another around the middle), had a wrenched right shoulder, and was dazed. A cut on her forehead began bleeding and her bruised right knee ached, but she still chuckled.

"Hey ugly, know what I did to the circuitry I could get at?" It squawked, though the noise could have been passed off as a roar easily. "Yeah, me neither."

"Well, she's still alright." Tail muttered as he helped a strangler along.

"You brought a civilian down here?" The wounded man demanded.

"Do you really think Twitch is a civvy?" The commando retorted.

"Civvy or not, she isn't going to last much longer against that thing." Streak glanced over his shoulder to look both the battle and the men behind him over.

"Guys, we aren't making a dent. Did anyone remember to bring grenades?" Hazard snapped over the comms.

"Yeah, I borrowed a couple from one of the Negotiator's armouries." Twitch mumbled, painfully rolling out of a scythe's path. "Hazard, have you tried getting one of the eyes yet?"

"Trying, but I can't get a clear shot. It's moving around too much."

"Shoot quickly and be ready to dodge, then." The sergeant ran underneath the droid's propped-up head, causing it to give chase as she ran straight toward the sniper.

"Alright, you insane di'kut, I'll just get ready to run, then." He murmured while lining up a shot. Several fired laser bolts later had both commandos quickly avoiding a sightless, raging machine.

"So, now it's blind, now what?" The older clone yelled over an enraged roar.

"Keep talking and running that way." Twitch pointed at the wall away from the other soldiers.

"Good plan. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, you?"

"I'm okay. How intelligent do you think that thing is?" The teenager looked over her shoulder and shouted a few unfriendly phrases in Mando'a. The droid screeched and seemed to run faster.

"I give it a seventy percent chance." They ran right up to the wall and slipped silently to either side, barely getting clear of the behemoth head and scythes. The rest of the body slid to the right, trapping Twitch and colliding with the wall.

Tail, at the door with everyone else, took a couple steps toward the wreckage before stopping himself.

"Hazard, she's alright, right?" He asked quietly through the comm. His squad mate began looking around the decimated creature.

"She's alive, but trapped. The small legs are stuck in the wall. One sec..."

§ § §

Twitch opened her clenched eyes and looked around. Small, bladed legs were dug into the stone around her, forming a sharp cage.

"Are you back?" She noticed Hazard peering at her.

"Are the grenades still attached to my belt?" She mumbled.

"Oh, yeah, you're back. New question; can you get out?" The teenager stood up and unsheathed her arm-blades, taking an experimental swing at a leg. Her arm bounced off, not leaving a scratch. A few more adrenaline-aided attempts later, it was clear she couldn't cut a way free.

"Can you climb out?" After a few moments of examination, Twitch shook her head.

"If I wasn't a girl, maybe, but there are sharp edges on these legs."

"Hmm, you push and I pull, then. Maybe we can just move this thing out." That didn't work, however.

"I still have the grenades. At maximum setting they could knock it loose, but of course that option is out since it would bring down the entire cave, too."

After going up and down the metal skeleton, no exits were found.

"Alright, you guys get to the surface and wait for General Koon." Twitch ordered.

"And leave you down here? There could be other droids, possibly even another one of these." Hazard argued.

"I should hope so. Another one like this could get me free."

"We aren't leaving you."

"You won't be leaving me, you'll be waiting for pick up, and assistance so you don't have to leave me here. Now get to the surface."

"Twitch—"

"You have six injured men over there, your brothers, who are waiting for you. Get your shebs to the surface." She raised her voice, tone hardening until she sounded like a furious drill sergeant.

"Haar'chak, you can be scary sometimes." Hazard turned and jogged over to the rest of the men.

"You sure about this, Twitch?" Tail checked over the comms.

"I won't say it again, go before I kick your butts out of here."

§ § §

"Ohhh, but I didn't think this through..." Twitch dodged another stab from a magnaguard's electrostaff. Two had come down and found her, so she was in a bit of trouble trying to stay not electrocuted.

She blocked another of the staffs and rolled away from the second. She shot at them, not making a dent.

A lightsaber sliding through both droid's brought the teenager relief and she sat down, hand around ribs.

"Twitch, are you alright?" Plo Koon asked.

"Yes, sir." She shakily stood up again, leaning against the wall. The Kel Dor master sliced at the legs, but to both his and Twitch's surprise, the blue weapon didn't get through, though it did flicker and die out.

Twitch examined the metal more closely.

"Sir, do you remember when we blew up that cortosis mine on planet during the first Clone War?"

"Yes, that would explain why my lightsaber is deactivated." Plo stepped back, putting his saber on his belt, before lifting both hands.

After a moment of stillness, the part of the massive droid that imprisoned Twitch slid out of the wall, until a gap large enough for her to squeeze through opened up.

She clambered out slowly, and slid down the thing's back. She collapsed on the floor, then got up at a sluggish pace.

"Are you actually alright?" Koon crossed his arms.

"No, sir, something is wrong with my ribs, but I'm otherwise okay."

"That is good news. It certainly could have been much worse."

_Yes, _she thought of Hazard, Streak and Tail, then Pyro Squad, _it could have._

* * *

_A.N. ~ I'll be working on the next chapter. I apologize to Kat3759 about how slowly things are going, but it's coming along..._


	18. What Were You Just Thinking?

_A.N. ~ I am_ so _sorry that it's been seven days. So, so sorry. I really hope this chapter makes up for it._

* * *

Despite being a short mission, it had left Twitch with two fractured ribs, a bruised kneecap, wrenched shoulder, and certain sense of terror regarding meeting anything like that droid ever again.

Hazard had a sizeable cut on his lower back, seeing how the droid had actually hit him, though its scythe was so sharp it slid into his armour like a hot knife through butter.

Everyone else in the squad was just sore and scared, like Twitch. The six clones they'd saved were being patched up, along with their rescuers.

Twitch fished through a somewhat larger pouch on her hip while a droid poked around her shoulder, and she pulled out five dog tags. The clone beside her, one of the rescued six, stared at the offered pieces of metal dumbly.

"Go on, take them. They were your squad mates, right?" She asked gruffly, not making eye contact.

"H-how—when...?" The man stuttered.

"When I was checking vitals." The droid pressed a sore point on her shoulder, initiating a short, angry demand in Mando'a to be more careful.

"Thank you." The other clone murmured, gently taking the dog tags, as though they could shatter with the slightest provocation.

He only got a nod in return before a barked curse as the droid poked one of Twitch's fractured ribs.

§ § §

Twitch limped toward the barracks, hiding the pain in her leg as best she could when anyone walked by.

"Well, it's easy to sneak up on you when you're tired." She jumped and whirled around, glaring at Tail.

"Guilty as charged."

"By the way, Hazard said he was going to tell you _'I told you so'_."

"The magnaguards weren't that bad." She protested. They started walking again.

"Uh-huh." The teenager was tempted to shove his shoulder, but she was a bit too sore for rough housing, as the pair of hidden bacta patches under her shirt decreed.

They entered their barrack and flopped down their respective bunks.

"Let's just hope the Seps don't have enough cortosis for another of those droids." Twitch mumbled, shifting onto her back so as not to aggravate any injuries and throwing an arm over her eyes.

"Yeah, though you did a number on that mine, so I doubt that's where they'd get more." A slight smile shifted the girl's lips.

_I guess I was a little overenthusiastic with those explosives..._

_It got the job done, didn't it?_ Tail pointed out.

It took them both about two full minutes to realize what just happened.

Twitch sat straight up, ignoring her ribs, Tail dropped his gun and the rag he'd been using to clean it on his lap.

_Did he just...no, that was just my imagination, right?_ Twitch wondered.

_No, it wasn't your imagination. Unless it's mine?_

They stared at each other dumbly, estimating how small or large the chance was they were only making the entire thing up.

"Tail, what were you just thinking?" Twitch asked slowly.

"That there's no way what we think might be happening is."

_This is impossible. Maybe if we were Jedi, it would work, but a couple of clones? Ah, kriff. _Twitch fretted.

_Hey, pipe down! I can't hear myself think with you...thinking like that... _Tail cringed and his sister sighed.

"Alright, how dangerous would asking a Jedi like General Koon about this be?" The girl asked, shuddering at the thought of the doors that could be opened or closed.

"I really don't know. How much do you trust him?"

"I do trust and respect him, but this is a bit different from blowing up mines."

_Well, we've got to tell somebody._

_No, we don't._

_Get out of my head,_ the scout sighed.

You're _the one in _my _head_.

_Whose head are we in?_

_I don't know. I figure it's like mental transmitting. This is basically a telepathic com link, I guess._

They stared at each other for a long time, wondering how to deal with the problem.

"So, is there a distance limit to this thing?" Twitch eventually spoke.

"Not sure. Clearly, if one of us gets hurt, the other isn't affected, but what about death?"

"I don't know. But have you noticed something?"

_What?_

"What?" Tail's mind spoke a splintered second before his voice did.

"Um, one _'what'_ is enough...anyway, it's been going on and off. When we weren't talking, or thinking of talking, we stayed in our own thoughts." That started another long stretch of silence.

"You're right. At least that means some privacy." The corporal sighed.

"Yeah, we may get along, but that doesn't mean wanting to hear everything the other person is thinking."

"Yes, though this could be great for communications on the battlefield."

"True. We could definitely coordinate our attacks better."

"So, playing it by ear, then, huh?" The younger soldier nodded.

§ § §

"Do you ever stop thinking?"

"Do you ever _not_?"

"Two nights in a row you were up past oh two hundred."

"Well, you should have thought something to shut me up." Twitch glared, arms crossed. She and Tail had been arguing for five minutes straight, able to speak freely since Streak and Hazard had left the barrack earlier.

"Or you could not include me in your mental debate on how many ways you could kill someone."

"I didn't know I was including you, so next time, _tell_ me."

"Fine!"

"Alright!" They stalked out the door at the same time, nearly colliding, then split up. Unfortunately, they both ended up at the gymnasium, also at the same time.

Twitch went to the punching bag farthest the one Tail picked.

Her ribs were still very fragile and sore, but she began attacking her bag without mercy, kicking and punching viciously.

_Could she stop being stubborn just once?_ The scout's voice asked in her head.

_Could he stop thinking so loudly? _She retorted.

They glanced at each other from across the room at the same time, glaring.

"You're awfully spry for someone with fractured ribs." Hazard teased, taking on the punching bag to Twitch's right, blocking her view of the other fuming clone.

"Semi-fractured by now." She winced, though, when the punching bag came swinging back and she punched it.

"Oh. Well, then, you're in perfect health." He teased.

§ § §

Twitch woke, barely stopping a scream as she sat up. She immediately began mentally checking off the locations of her weapons.

_Kriff, do you ever sleep? _Tail snapped in her mind.

The fear and pain that the girl had just experienced flared her temper.

_No, actually, I don't sleep much. Honestly, I'm surprised you can. But then, you're the big, tough soldier with training against something as stupid as dreams. Any more questions? _Her heated response made him pause.

In the dim light, Twitch glared at her brother before twisting so her back was to him. Eventually, Tail ventured to speak—er, _think, _again.

_Twitch?_

_Yes?_ She replied testily.

_I can't remember why we started fighting in the first place... _His tone was so quiet and full of pent-up amusement that a short burst of mental laughter escaped her.

_You know what? Neither can I..._

_Does that mean I can start sleeping with both eyes closed again?_

_Don't be a di'kut. You know I'd never kill you in your sleep, even if I was that angry. _The corporal smiled.

_Sleep easy, vod'ika._

_You too, ori'vod._

§ § §

_Ugh, I hate Naboo._ Twitch grumbled to Tail.

They'd been planet-side for far too long; already two weeks. It was a long shore leave for even the laziest battalion, if such a thing existed among the clones.

_Your least favourite planet, huh? _He smirked from across the room.

_I'd have to say that title belongs to Vhalan. What about you?_

_It's a tie between Vhalan and Geonosis, _he nearly shrugged, but caught himself.

Streak and Hazard were present, both playing sabacc. Explaining why he and Twitch were going through the motions of conversation without speaking would draw unwanted attention.

"Hey, are you two going to sit there all day, or are you going to join the game?" Hazard asked. Twitch's hand was already tapping, despite talking with Tail.

_You best be doing it before you explode, _her brother teased.

_Go jump in a river, _she retorted while standing and picking up the cards Streak dealt to her.

_Aw, but then I'd ruin my cards!_ Tail also joined the game.

He and Twitch both had to carefully keep each other out of their thoughts as they looked over their hands and began playing.

"Twitch, you're going to set those cards on fire, and we aren't cleaning it up." Hazard half-mindedly warned, too concentrated to really pay her heed.

"Get used to this expression. You'll be seeing it a lot." She mumbled, putting down one of her cards.

The game did not go in her favour, ending with Streak winning, Tail coming in second, then Hazard and Twitch tying for last.

"Round twenty-three, anyone?" Hazard sighed.

"I think I'll go hit a punching bag." The teenager grumbled, palms turning white as she pushed off the floor with her finger-tips.

"Sure, why not?" Tail shifted into a more comfortable position, beginning to shuffle the cards.

"I'm going to eat." Streak shrugged, the click of his shoes punctuating his departure.

§ § §

_How goes the game? _Twitch asked, spinning in place to kick a punching bag with her heel before twisting to send the large black piece of equipment swinging diagonally with a punch.

_Badly. Hazard is a lot smarter than he lets on. _Tail replied, somewhat crossly.

_Well, it _is _a good strategy,_ she pointed out, breathing in the salty, thick air that had been tainted by the sweat and body heat of many men.

_True, but it's fekking annoying! _The girl's lips twisted in a smile, her amusement at the whiny tone Tail had had was too much for her self control.

§ § §

The next mission the squad was sent on was arguably more or less important than their first, and it was an indication that the war was in full swing, seeing as protecting a village from the Separatists usually would be left to regular troops.

Since commandos were being involved, it meant no other troops were available to take the mission.

Despite the not-so-exciting assignment, the four commandos were quite happy to have something to do after such a long period of inactivity.

Unfortunately for Twitch, the town they were protecting was on Trandosha. One guess as to which species lived there.

"If the big lizards are asking for our help, it means they're having a lot of trouble." The teenager pointed out as their transport began entering Trandosha's atmosphere.

"Yeah, no kidding. What I wanna know is why they even need us. It's not like they're helpless." Streak agreed.

"Eh, who knows? As long as this gives us a good fight, I don't care why they want us around." Hazard patted his DC-15A.

The transport landed and the squad filed out, looking over the village. Everything was built precariously on a mountainside. Other peaks towered to their backs once the ship took off.

A large Trandoshan approached them, displaying many sharp, pointed teeth in a grin.

"Welcome to Sharakk. I am Gyssk. I take it you're the ones who will be assisting us?"

"Yes, sir. My name is Tail, this is Hazard, Streak, and Twitch." The large reptile locked eyes with the last named soldier.

"Does the child serve a purpose?"

"Oh, yeah, she's our ninja." Hazard replied cheerfully.

"And she is of use?" Twitch stepped from behind the hulking frames of her brothers so she could be face to...chest with the large reptile. Her head tilted up to make eye contact, giving her both a childish and sturdy appearance.

"I can assure you that I'm a proficient warrior." She promised.

"You are not intimidated too easily, but your abilities will be determined later on." The teenager only shrugged, not caring to try proving her point right then.

§ § §

As it turned out, the Trandoshans in that particular village did not seek battle, but peace. That did not mean, however, that they wouldn't take up arms if the circumstances called for it.

The issue was, no one knew how to shoot straight, or any fighting styles. That meant the commandos would have to teach them.

Tail showed them hand-to-hand techniques, Hazard, of course, taught everyone how to shoot, Streak explained formations, battle tactics, and anything else of the like, and Twitch was busy going out with a couple adult Trandoshans to scout out the terrain.

"The droids always come from there," one said as he pointed to a narrow road leading to the village, "and the first time we showed resistance, air support came from there." His finger shifted to angle at a narrow pass tucked in between a pair of towering mountains.

"You mean the last time we showed resistance." The other growled bitterly.

"I don't want to hear you regretting anything before today. You can't change that. For now, tell me which kinds of droids attacked." Twitch ordered, shifting to face them on the small ledge.

"We are unsure of their names, however, we can tell you what they looked like."

"That's good enough for me."

§ § §

"We have B1s, SBDs, vultures, and STAPs to deal with." Twitch murmured to the other clones as they strode into the building where they would be sleeping.

It had belonged to a family, but they'd all been slaughtered during the droid's attack, so the space was given to the soldiers to use as a barrack.

"Hmm, air support'll be the worst of it. Thoughts on the ground troops?" Tail asked.

"I already rigged the trail. Next droids to come along there go boom." Twitch grinned.

"Yeah, but isn't that one of our only escape routes if we need to retreat?" Streak pointed out.

"Trust me, the debris will fall so on our side, it would be easy to move. If you're on the other, good luck."

"Just out of natural curiosity, how do you always know this stuff?" Hazard grumbled, getting a drink of water from the sink.

"Magic. And explicit understanding of grenades." After a short period of stretching and sitting down, Twitch got up. "Well, I'm going to go arrange the night shift."

§ § §

A heavy weight knocked Twitch over and she rolled. Whatever was clinging to her back was first squashed underneath, then, as it lost its grip, shoved off by her tight grip.

She shot to her feet, preparing for a fight, then stopped as a young child began laughing. She could tell he was younger than herself, but despite this, he was nearly as large as she was, as well.

"Heheh, you're strong! Catch me if you can!" The guards were in place, and everything was semi-quiet, but the teenager didn't want to appear childish, and risk losing the villagers' cooperation.

Gyssk caught her eye and nodded toward the youngling, prompting her to pursue. She hesitated for a few seconds longer, then looked at the child, who was poised on all fours, prepared to flee at the slightest provocation.

_What the heck?_ She inwardly lifted and dropped her shoulders before taking off after the kid.

He hissed in excitement and dashed away, tail trailing behind him. A couple more younglings joined him, all growling and yelping in amusement.

_What's 'what the heck'?_ Tail asked through their link, startling Twitch.

_Ah, younglings wanting me to chase them. Gyssk didn't seem to mind,_ she responded.

_You keep forgetting that you're a youngling, too._

_Don't remind me, _the girl mumbled, sliding around a corner before rolling out of a pair of adults' ways.

_Why not? I don't think you've ever had a chance to play with someone your age,_ the scout argued.

_Spitfire. We played sabacc every now and then. _One of the younglings nearly tackled Twitch again, barely dodged.

_I meant _actually _played. Like what you're doing right now._

_Sabacc_ is _playing!_

_Not like this, it isn't._

_Do I need to keep arguing about this wi—whoa! _She yelped as a youngling jumped her from one of the alleyways.

"Gotcha! You're no match for my hunting skills!" He crowed.

"Oh, but aren't I?" Twitch laughed as she twisted out from under the other child, exchanging a few mock blows before she turned tail and ran, the hunter now the hunted.

_Uh-huh. I'll just leave you to your no-fun playing,_ Tail seemed to smirk and Twitch sighed, unable to protest.

A young Trandoshan stepped out from one of the allies, leaping at her. She fell onto her back and slid underneath the reptile, getting up without slowing to tackle him.

They rolled over and over, trying to get on top, but with the scaly-skinned boy being heavier, he landed on bottom. That meant Twitch started running again.

Just then, her comm began beeping.

"Twitch, here." The sergeant said, ducking one of the youngling's tackles.

"This is the north guard. The droids are coming up the trail. Repeat, the droid's are coming up the trail." Twitch instantly became a soldier again.

"You lot get inside and don't come out until someone says you can." She ordered, sweeping her gaze over the children.

"But we wanna play." One protested.

"You can play later. Just get inside." The commando began running toward the north side of the village, focused on dealing with the threat at hand.

* * *

_A.N. ~ are you really surprised that I left off on a cliffhanger? I mean, have you _read_ the other two stories that came before this? Anyway, I'll get Chapter Nineteen up when it's done. No promises on it being ready today, but I'll try :)_


	19. War Stories

_A.N. ~ so sorry for the wait. I've been experiencing some technical difficulties, but they're gone now. :)_

* * *

After a semi-gruelling battle, ending in the droids' destruction and light to medium losses for the villagers, things died down.

"It could've been a lot worse. We need to get these people into fighting shape." Tail sighed, conferring with his fellow soldiers and Gyssk, who appeared to be either the leader or representative of the entire village.

"It would help if we had more time. And fewer interruptions from the clankers." Hazard grumbled.

"Gyssk, do you know where the droids' camp is?" Twitch murmured.

"No."

"Then we prepare for the next attack. Train, set traps for the droids, and concentrate on finding the enemy base. If we do that, we can avoid more losses." The teenager decided, voice adopting the tone she'd used as a sergeant on the battlefield.

Hazard nodded. "Let's get to it, then."

§ § §

Twitch helped set up defences around the village, planting booby traps and digging trenches. She had the Trandoshans who were too young to fight helping, along with any adults who had already gone with the other clones, or ones who were caring for children and wouldn't be in any battles.

They were busy digging a trench and piling the dirt on the opposite side of where the droids would come from, determined to get six feet deep.

"This is boring. Can we go play?" One of the children whined.

"You can play later. Right now, try and make a game of digging." Twitch panted, shoulders burning as she tossed dirt out of her spot.

"It's _digging_. How do you make a game out of it?" A female youngling demanded.

"I don't know. That's why I told you to figure it out so you'd have something to do." The commando growled, pausing to swallow a couple mouthfuls of lukewarm water, then passing the canteen on to the nearest person.

"Why are you with the soldiers? We're too young to fight, so why do you?" A dusty orange male asked. He appeared to be nearly as old as the girl.

"Because you're younger than me, and I've had training for this."

"You could give us training, and not everyone here is that young." The same boy protested.

"I know, but I don't want to risk losing any of you. Besides, when the droids next attack, I need you lot on fire duty. If a stray shot starts up a blaze, I want anyone who can safely do it get a bucket of water and put any fires out. If it puts you near the line of fire, though, you just let it burn."

"Don't give us jobs we know won't be needed!" One of the children snapped.

"It very well may be needed, and unless you want someone's property to go up in flames, you'll do as I say." The sharp tone stopped any more rebellion.

It was only after a short break that any children risked speaking again.

"How do you know what you're doing?" A girl asked. Twitch bit off a sharp reply. The youngling's tone had been inquisitive, not challenging.

"Experience." The soldier replied.

"But you're still a youngling, too." A rather young female reminded.

"I know, but that doesn't change the fact I know how to defend a village."

"_Have_ you ever defended a village before?" One of the adult Trandoshans queried.

"I've never gone to this extent for a town as small as Sharakk, but yes, I have."

"How long've you been fighting? The reptile was barely out of childhood, having recently turned eighteen standard years.

"Five years. Started around the middle of the first Clone War."

"That long? It must be great to be a soldier. You probably get to see a lot of planets." Another male, this one around Twitch's age, sighed.

The commando swallowed, unsure of what to say.

_Just tell him that being a soldier is about more than just travelling, and go from there, _Tail counselled, having been listening to the conversation through Twitch's ears.

_Right. Thanks,_ she inwardly sighed.

"I've seen many planets, but travelling is only a fraction of what soldiers do." The teenager murmured, somewhat changing her brother's words, yet saying the same thing.

"What else does a soldier do? Besides fighting?" One of the younglings paused her digging to look directly at the human.

"Hmm, well, some soldiers guard planets and, sometimes, systems by staying in an outpost, in case they need to alert nearby forces to enemy presence. Relief missions, escorts, supply transports, sometimes acting as a part of a military police, and training others also sometimes enter a soldier's duties."

"Wow, that's busy." Another teenager blinked.

"Well, there are usually enough troops to divide things up fairly evenly." Twitch shrugged, massaging a tight muscle a few seconds before returning to the hole that was nearly complete.

§ § §

As they dug a second trench, this one set four feet behind the first, something Twitch didn't think she'd have to do for a long time happened.

"Human, can you tell us a story?" A very young, small male who'd insisted on helping asked. He had teamed up with a near-adult, the younger loosening dirt while the older lobbed it out of the hole.

"Hmm, a story, huh? What kind of story?" The calm front she put up hid the storm of panic rising in the commando.

_Twitch, calm down! It's only a story,_ Tail assured.

_Yeah, but what kinds of stories do I tell them? I don't even know any!_

"Will you tell us about the humans who came with you?" That calmed the worried soldier. This was something she could do safely.

"Which one do you want to hear about?" The girl asked.

"Mmm...tell us about the one who painted his armour black." The same girl who'd suggested the subject decided.

"Ah, that would be Tail. He's a scout, but he also works as our medic."

"But what about what he's like? What's he act like?" The female persisted.

_Wait, what?_ The clone in question asked through the link.

_As hard as it is to believe, ner vod, they wanna know about _you_, not your job, _Twitch smiled slightly.

"Well, Tail is levelheaded, smart, and a good leader, but he also has a good sense of humour, though he'll wait for somebody else to line up the joke before delivering a punchline. He is loyal, but also willing to speak his mind if need be."

_Awww,_ the scout had a strong sense of amusement, as well as pride and gratitude.

_You're welcome. Just be glad I didn't add in the part where you have a tendency to snore,_ Twitch teased.

Tail, in fact, never snored. However, it was always fun to cause paranoia in someone about the issue.

_I do not! Do I?_ He protested.

_Just ask Streak or Hazard_, she suggested.

"He sounds nice. What about the other two, who haven't painted their armour yet?" The female Trandoshan pushed.

"Streak and Hazard. Streak is quieter, but still gets up to antics with Hazard. He's our mechanic, and naturally has a strong sense of curiosity. Now, they both are very good pranksters, and can usually get away with any stunts they pull. Hazard will take any dare you throw at him, and he's a bit more outspoken than Streak. He's our sniper, though a bit loud and energetic." The younglings listened intently, lapping up the flow of information.

"Cool! Has anything funny ever happened to you?" The girl clearly had a curious and stubborn nature. Combined, they were the two things in people Twitch avoided most, mainly because that was how _she_ was.

There were far too many secrets tucked away in her mind to be risked around others of her mindset.

"Hmm..." Twitch suddenly remembered something. "Well, there's that time before Coruscant was abandoned to the Infecteds, during the 501st's shore leave..."

§ § §

FLASHBACK

Twitch sat in a cell with Shorty, Fritz, and Wing. Their wrists were bare, as were their ankles. No guns were present on their hips, and the white gauntlets Twitch relied on often had been removed.

"That was a horrible idea." Fritz muttered.

"I'm not the one who decided bringing you three was a good idea." The teenager retorted testily.

"We were bored!" Shorty protested.

"Uh-huh. Well, at least you're not the ones who have to explain this to Rex." She smiled wryly, wishing not for the first time that she wasn't a sergeant.

"I'd call that a blessing. Can't you get us out of here?" Wing suggested.

"Heck, I already have several escape plans, but we aren't using any." Twitch asserted.

"I guess beating up some of our own brothers and becoming fugitives wouldn't go over too well." The mechanic shrugged.

"You think?" Wing's chuckle reverberated through the small room.

A cell of six strides (about thirteen feet) in any direction didn't go over well with three grown men and a three-quarter-grown teenager in regards to personal space.

"Well, what do we do now?" Wing asked.

"We wait until someone gets our shebs out of here." Twitch grumbled, beginning to pace before catching herself and sitting down on one of the benches that served as a bed.

"Actually, you four will be explaining to me exactly what was going through your heads." A clone in armour painted with a dark red shade walked in, two guards standing at the entrance, also marked in the colour.

_Commander Fox. Great. This is juuuust great, _Twitch thought crossly.

"I take responsibility for it, sir." Shorty stood, placing a hand on his chest.

"No, actually, it was my fault." Wing mimicked his brother's movements.

"You two did nothing compared to my screw up." Fritz intervened.

"Luubid! Sheber, gar ehn." The loud, sharp tone of Twitch's clear voice immediately had the three clones sitting as she stood.

_This is definitely earned respect and obedience,_ Fox mused, _and that was certainly the voice of an officer. There's no way, though, right?_

"Commander, I am their sergeant. As such, this is my responsibility, and I will accept any punishment that will be given as such." She stated, gaze unwavering as she met his eyes with her own hard golden ones.

_Sure enough,_ the Commander sighed inwardly.

"Maybe you lot should concentrate on explaining instead of taking blame." He suggested.

"Well," Twitch murmured, "it didn't start so badly..."

§ § §

FLASHBACK INSIDE THE FLASHBACK

"Sarge, where do you always go off to during leave?" Fritz's voice stopped the girl at the doorway. She turned and smiled, partially sheepish and partly calm.

"I've got some informants here on Coruscant in the lower levels. They sniff out anything that might need some attention." Twitch explained, sweeping an upturned hand for emphasis. "And you know my name isn't 'Sarge'."

"Right, sorry. Um..." She could see a question playing on the older clone's lips.

"Go ahead." The teenager encouraged.

"Mind if we come with you?" Wing cut in. He and Shorty grinned imploringly whilst Fritz had a smaller upward curve to his lip, looking embarrassed.

"Heh, sure. It's a long walk, though." She warned.

§ § §

"You walk this far every time you go see your informants?" Wing mumbled dubiously.

"Well, usually I'd catch a transport, but it's hard to do that with three more people." Twitch grinned, imagining what a mess that would make.

"Right, the part where you have to pay if over six people are onboard at a time." Fritz muttered.

"Yeah, that part. Anyway, we're almost there." The girl's voice echoed through the tunnel. It was dimly lit, straight as an arrow, and long. Very, very long.

It led to a small, sort of underground village, where, though the residents were poor, they were still as loud, rowdy and lively as the city above.

The group entered a cavern. A massive one, which housed, as noted above, a small cluster of buildings.

"Wow." Fritz stated simply, already looking around at the architecture of the space, gears in his brain spinning.

"Okay, you guys go ahead and look around. Too many people at once make my informants nervous." Twitch said, left hand waving as she walked away.

§ § §

_Whack!_

Twitch's foot hit the head of one of the armed men who'd cornered Fritz. He turned around, raised a finger as if to make a point, and fell over.

"One hour. You just broke a record." The teenager smirked.

"Wow, it's been that long since we got down here? I figured I'd be in trouble fifty minutes ago." The mechanic grinned.

The remaining thieves attacked and were dealt with in short order.

"Where'd the others go?" Twitch sighed.

"Checking out the bar."

"We better be running, then."

"Yep." They started sprinting down the main road. The loud music, cheery yellow light that was cast out the windows, and general cozy feeling of the building didn't hide the ruckus that was occurring inside.

"I think we're too late, Twitch." Fritz groaned.

"Let's go make sure they don't get anyone hurt." The sergeant sighed, pushing open the doors.

Sure enough, Wing and Shorty had their hands raised appeasingly, trying to calm down some angry looking locals.

"Really, I can't leave you two alone for one hour! And mothers think they have any right to complain." The girl huffed loudly, being sure to catch everyone's attention. She stomped over and grabbed her subordinates by their arms.

"Sorry for anything these di'kuts did. They have a habit of getting in trouble." She twisted to smile at the nearest person, tugging at the two clones' limbs. They began slowly creeping toward the door.

"I hope they didn't cause you too much trouble?" Twitch smiled again, sweetly...gently.

She was putting up a rather unusual front, completely different from her standard self, as though emitting a seductively calming air.

"They did, actually." A blue male Twi'lek took a step toward them.

"Well, I really am sorry. I hope you'll forgive them." Her voice became soft and girlishly innocent. The other soldiers' eyebrows hit the roof, dumbfounded at their sergeant's strange behaviour. They lined up with the door, tensing with the chance of escape.

As rookies on their first shore leave, Twitch had made it clear that if they ever got into a fight with civilians, they ran, or non-lethally made a way to run. No seriously injuring civvies.

"Well, maybe with some recompense..." The Twi'lek grinned while taking another stride toward them.

Twitch inwardly gagged while outwardly releasing a soft chuckle.

"Oh, maybe instead..." Everyone held their breath. "Run." You couldn't count on a single hand how many seconds it took for the soldiers to exit the building.

For a couple drawn out moments, everyone in the bar stood there as their brains processed what had just happened. Then they collectively made a break after the clones.

"What were you two thinking? The _one_ gang in this area! _The one_!" Twitch panted as they ran.

"We were thinking _find a nice place to wait while you talked to your informants_. We didn't know they were territorial!" Shorty growled.

"Well, you know now." It was a thirty klick tunnel, giving them an advantage over their pursuers, since a twenty klick run was a common morning workout, and the last ten kilometres would probably be far enough ahead that they could slow down.

"Do they have guns?" Wing gulped.

"Yeah, which is why we want to put as much distance between us as possible." Looking over her shoulder, Twitch could see the gang was nearly within shooting range.

She unsheathed her arm-blades and jabbed them against the wall every five steps, breaking wires that powered the lights.

Short jolts of electricity tingled through her arm, drawing out a pained wince.

§ § §

The gang had stubbornly stayed with them straight until the four clones exited the tunnel.

Unfortunately, the angry locals beelined for their speeders.

"I know we shouldn't hurt civvies, but at this rate wouldn't fighting just be the better option? We could always knock them out or stun 'em!" Wing cringed at the sound of nearly a dozen engines coming to life.

"And thus nearly every Kaminoan had a heart attack. No, at this point fighting them would be a death sentence. Best chance is to make it to a heavily populated area." The sergeant decided.

_Because even street slums like these know better than to attack in the open, _Twitch thought grimly.

"They're gaining on us." Shorty alerted.

"Okay, see that speeder up ahead of us?" Twitch flicked her chin to indicate the vehicle. "Fritz, I'll show you how to hot-wire it. Everyone else be sure to not get killed."

§ § §

RETURN TO MAIN FLASHBACK

"So, you stole a civilian vehicle?" Fox asked.

"Yes, sir." Twitch was leaning against a wall, resting her leg. The commander was similarly posed.

"And after that–after a street race with the gang–it somehow exploded, and you four led them on a wild chase through the senate district before losing them in the sewer system."

"That's about it, sir." Shorty was trying not to grin at the ridiculous truth.

"I'll leave your punishments to Captain Rex." A familiar pair of Jaig eyes walked into the room. The guilty party scrambled to attention, saluting.

"You four get in some strange messes." Rex grumbled, visor mainly tilted towards Twitch.

She produced a guilty, _'oh, um...hi, there...' _smile. "Um...oops?"

§ § §

FLASHBACK END

There was a collective wave of snickering from the younglings.

_I remember you doing that,_ Tail murmured. _Didn't Rex have you scrubbing the engine room for a week?_

_Yes. Definitely not the best shore leave, _Twitch replied.

"That actually happened?" An adult Trandoshan hissed drily.

"We're soldiers, not perfectionists." The sergeant grinned.

* * *

_A.N. ~ Chapter Twenty will get here when it gets here, but soon ;)_

**MANDO'A DEFINITIONS AND PRONUNCIATIONS: **

**Luubid: [loo-BEED] enough**

**Sheber: [SHEH-bair] sit (verb)**

**gar: gar [gahr] you (sing. and pl.), your**

**ehn: [ayhn] three**


	20. War Stories, Part Two

_A.N. ~ *mimicking Thor's voice* another! *normal voice* Short, but another. And I'll just say now, that there was no way, once the thought entered my mind, that I wouldn't write about this next story. BE PREPARED TO LAUGH! (I hope. I tried making it funny *shrugs*)_

* * *

"Another one, huh? This one funny, too?" The soldier guessed. Everyone nodded enthusiastically.

They'd gotten two trenches done, and had started on the third and final one.

"Umm...oh, right! Know what happens when a group like the 501st decides to join in on April Fool's Day?"

§ § §

FLASHBACK

It had been the hot topic of gossip for weeks. Helmet-to-helmet comms, quiet hallways, and loud Mess Halls all made for an excellent grapevine aboard the Resolute.

What had been the sweetest rumour was the one about how April Fool's Day was coming aboard the ship.

Since they had three days' travel to their next destination, and the first two of the previously mentioned time frame overlapped the holiday, it was decided morale could be boosted through...certain means.

Of course, some people could decide that they didn't want to participate or be included in the two-day stretch, but most of the clones onboard had spent days plotting; imagining what nasty prank could be pulled.

All of Pyro Squad was eager to participate, so for the next forty eight hours, things promised to be interesting.

"I can honestly say I'm scared of what'll happen with Twitch and Spitfire." Kal shuddered, provoking a similar reaction in Wing.

"Either they team up and become a ninja duo, or go against each other and all haran breaks loose." Dodge guessed.

"I'd rather have them going after each other than the rest of us." Wing sighed. They entered the gym just as a ship-wide announcement came on.

"Attention all personnel. The forty eight hour April Fool's Day begins now." Skywalker stated before leaving the ship deadly silent.

Almost immediately, using their knees and calves to hold on, Twitch and Spitfire popped out of the vents, hanging upside down, both wielding a can of Silly String in either hand, and rained the strands on the three men below.

There were yelps and barked curses as the clones fled out of firing range, mixed with loud, clear, somewhat high-pitched cackles as the two girls hung there, tears of amusement streaming into their hair.

Everyone in the room had seen the event, and more than a few faces had grins on them.

"How long've you two been up there?" Kal asked.

"Oh, two hours. Ever since we heard you guys might be visiting this particular room." Spitfire giggled, trying to contain her mirth.

"Better question; what is this stuff and where did you get it?" Dodge nervously wiped some goop out of his hair before sniffing it.

"Last shore leave. A bunch of Silly String was on sale." Twitch sniggered again. "See you when the forty eight hours are up." She did a midair sit-up, disappearing back into the vents. Spitfire grinned evilly, tossing three towels down to her brothers before following.

"Haar'chak, they teamed up." Wing groaned, scooping up his towel.

"Great. We've got a pair of rogue ninjas armed with...Silly String." Kal muttered.

"Wait, by _'see you when the forty eight hours are up'_, did she mean they wouldn't be sleeping in the barrack?" Dodge mumbled.

"Probably." Wing scrubbed as much foam as possible from his head.

"And what happened here?" They turned to see Rex and Fives.

"Sir! Twitch and Spitfire bought some Silly String and were hiding in the vents. They got us as soon as the announcement ended." Kal snapped off a salute, becoming aware of more gunk on his shoulder, which was wiped away.

"They're in the vents. Perfect." Fives sighed.

"And implied they wouldn't be returning to the barracks until all is said and done." Kal added. "So we probably won't have a chance to get them."

§ § §

That night, as all the male members of Pyro Squad got into bed, female laughter echoed above them.

"Know what we did to the beds?" Spitfire giggled, unseen. Everyone sat bolt upright, beginning to get out of bed. Once all the men were up, more laughter started.

"Absolutely nothing." Twitch chuckled.

"Then _why_ did you _say_ _anything_?" Adenn snapped.

"Because we still pranked you." Fire teased. Everything became quiet, and only after a few more minutes did anyone risk sleeping.

§ § §

When Tup woke and sat up, rubbing his eyes, he unfortunately became entangled in a massive web of Silly String. The more he pulled, the tighter it wrapped around him.

Scanning the room, he saw that five other bunks in the room had been rigged.

_Hmm, Jesse, Kix, Hardcase, Fives and...they didn't. Rex? Who has a death wish here? _He wondered, then grinned at the thought of watching his friends become just as trapped as he was.

So the man waited, and as if on cue, everyone else began getting up.

As soon as the other five victims were caught, girlish laughter filled the room hauntingly.

"How much of this stuff did they buy?" Fives hissed.

Everyone was staring, wondering how the ARC trooper and their captain had been caught in such an old trap.

"Well, I'm guessing several more cans if they want to keep this up for the rest of the day." Hardcase shrugged.

§ § §

Pyro Squad had been in a civil war ever since waking up. Wing and Kal had added a nasty amount of pepper to everyone's breakfast, Adenn, true to his Mando'a name of 'merciless', had put tacs around everyone's bed except his own.

Kal, 'blade', was not amused as he picked three of the pins out of his foot.

Jax had been stalking around like a wildcat, shooting anyone who he recognized with a straw and wads of spit-soaked napkin.

Chopper was getting on everyone's nerves, not reacting to being pranked and not doing anything except looking at the others pointedly, as though expecting something to happen.

Tail had avoided all the pranks so far, but had set up several traps in the vents around the Squad's quarters.

Cross had somewhat reluctantly rigged Kix and Coric's stations in the medical bay, and Dodge, being a mechanic, had some leftover oil and grease that would have, under normal circumstances, been disposed of.

He'd lined the entrance, doorframe, and a couple feet out from the door of the barrack with it and watched the fun.

Down went Adenn, and Cross, and Tail. More were sure to follow.

All day, everyone in Pyro Squad had seen flashes of golden eyes, black hair, or heard stomping above them coupled with ghostly laughing. Twitch and Spitfire had been getting on their nerves for hours.

When the five minute warning was spread through the ship, that was when, in the Mess Hall where all of Pyro Squad was having lunch, the covers for a couple of vents in the ceiling fell to the floor.

Hanging upside down, entire bodies cocooned in Silly String, and beneath that, rope, came tumbling out Twitch and Spitfire, dangling, unable to move, and grinning like a couple of normal children.

Just then, the announcement for the end of April Fool's Days was said.

"Hey, guys." Spitfire grinned. "Told you we'd see you at the end of it." She snickered.

"How did this happen?" Rex, who had just walked in, asked, arms crossed.

"It turns out we both had the same idea of betrayal. This was inevitable." Twitch attempted (and failed) to shrug.

"Uh-huh. Well, I'm sure you two will have fun cleaning this up." The captain put his right index finger against Twitch's forehead before pushing, making her swing back and forth slightly.

"Worth it." Fire wriggled, trying to get loose.

"You can't cut out?" Dodge mused, studying the mechanics of the traps.

"Our arms are angled wrong. We'd be cutting into ourselves." Twitch explained.

"So how are you getting out of there?" Rex smiled.

"Well, only one of us was supposed to be caught, and the other would have come to help out..." Spitfire twisted to look at her squad mates hopefully.

"You know, it would be great payback to leave you two up there." Tail thought aloud.

"After all, you guys were borderline demonic." Wing added.

"I guess we'll just have to let you learn your lessons." Kal sighed.

"Have fun." Rex grinned before leaving to get his food.

The two girls twisted to glare at each other.

"Traitor." They spat at the same time.

§ § §

FLASHBACK END

"H-how did you get out of there?" One of the youngling laughed.

"Oh, heh, our general took pity on us after we got to the passing out stages." Twitch smiled, remembering how she and her sister had staggered back to the barrack, after blearily cleaning up the mess, and collapsed in the doorway. Tail and Chopper'd carried them to their bunks, laughing all the while.

_We should hang you upside down more often. It was very amusing_, Tail teased.

_Jerk_, she inwardly smirked.

* * *

_A.N. ~ I just could not resist throwing Torrent Company into the chaos of April Fool's Day. How could anyone?_

_'Kal' and 'Adenn' sound just as you would think, and their meanings in Mando'a were already explained._

_I'll be working on the next chapter, now..._


	21. War Stories, Prelude To The Next Tale

_A.N. ~ I am so, soooo sorry for the wait! I swear I've gotten past the tech problems! Ugh, I really don't like computer updates. They almost always screw things up. _

_Anyhow, it's been seven chapters, so I would like to remind you lot that I do not own Star Wars, only my ONs. So, with that out of the way, please enjoy Chapter Twenty-one!_

_P.S. ~ I'm forfeiting the squiggly symbols I've usually been using for the line thingy. Now you know._

* * *

"Tell us another one!" The female youngling demanded.

"An exciting and funny one, please." Another added.

_Polite Trandoshans. Who knew?_ Twitch mused.

_They're different from the rest of their species. Accept it,_ Tail ordered.

"Um..." Twitch racked her brain for something to fit what the children had asked for. War was nearly always adrenaline-inducing and rarely funny.  
The most excitement she and her brothers got were usually battles, hardly youngling-friendly material, and the funniest she had to offer didn't set much of a good example for the more impressionable children.

The notion of asking Tail for help barely entered the teenager's mind before said man thought.

_Oh, no. Don't look at me. I've got nothing,_ he warned.

"Perhaps something more compliant with your history would help?" An adult suggested.

"Okay, just an exciting one, then." The girl persisted.

"Those I have aplenty." _Bew!_

A child that was the size of a human nine year old fell over with a scream.

"Back to the village!" Twitch instantly ordered. "I'll cover you." She jumped up and took cover behind the dirt mound of the second trench, drawing her guns and beginning to fire on the incoming B1s and SBDs.

_Twitch! What's going on down there?_ Tail demanded.

_Get the others. The droids are back, and you have a wounded child coming your way,_ she replied, blocking a bolt.

"It's the girl who came with the clones! Blast her!" A B1 marked with yellow paint shouted. Twitch made a point of shooting that one in particular.

"Come on! You're going to let a kid stand in your way?" The teenager shouted.

"Is she taunting us?" A droid muttered.

"I think so." Another answered.

Twitch backed up before jumping onto the pile of dirt rimming the third trench, then kneeling behind its slope after taking a few more paces backwards.

_Come on, bucket heads, how am I supposed to blow you up when you're over there?_ She inwardly growled.

_Twitch, Streak and Hazard are on their way,_ Tail alerted. The slight concept of his hands moving to help the injured child explaining to his sister why he wasn't coming.

_I'll take Streak, but Hazard should be ready for any air support the Seps called for,_ she decided.

_I'll let him know._

Twitch began backing up, drawing the droids farther into her trap. Once they reached the first trench, she pulled out a remote detonator, flipped it like a coin, and waved it so the droids could see.

"Oh—" _Blam!_ The explosion cut off the commanding droid. The sergeant was running up the trail, getting clear of any high-velocity debris.

"And that's how you ambush someone in plain view." She muttered, arms pumping, two swings per breath.

"Twitch, your brilliant plan just gave the droids cover." Streak growled over the comm. The girl scanned the precipice of the village and spotted her squad mate.

"From your position, I did. Move, genius. I'll be there to provide cover in a few seconds." By 'provide cover', she meant 'become cover', and started blocking the bolts directed at herself or her brother, protecting him from enemy fire whilst he shot.

There were only three SBDs and two B1s left, and they all went down quickly, but air support arrived. STAPs and a pair of vulture droids, which landed in the middle of the town and opened fire.

"Kriff. Streak, let's go." Twitch activated her comm as she ran, going to Hazard's channel. "Hazard, I'd like that sky a little less crowded."

"Already on it." Several STAPs opened fire on the two.

_Crap, crap, crap, crap,_ the youngling mentally chanted, dodging the bolts while the faint order in the back of her mind drove her to get behind Streak and make sure he didn't get hit.

"We need some cover fire, Hazard." Streak panted through his helmet's comm.

"I'm kind of busy not being shot by the vultures, vod. You'll have to deal with it yourself."

"Wait, didn't we train the lizards to fight? Where's our backup?" Twitch snapped.

_Arming themselves and steeling their nerves. They'll be with you soon,_ Tail explained.

_They better. We won't last long like this._

* * *

_We can't afford another battle like that. Either we find the droids' camp, or they finish us,_ Twitch decided.

_Yeah. This was a lot worse than the average Seppie scare tactic. They're trying to destroy the village,_ Tail murmured. He was still working on the little Trandoshan that had been shot, and his brothers and sister were busy with bacta patches and bacta-filled containers, healing what injuries they could with their limited medical knowledge.

They were in the town hall; the only building large enough to hold all of the wounded with enough room for medics to work.

"I thought you soldiers were supposed to protect us." An elderly female hissed.

"We are, but we won't be here forever. You need to learn how to defend yourselves, and anybody able to fight needs to be ready to in a moment's notice. This battle proved that." Twitch muttered as she smeared bacta on a burn the elder had sustained.

"Does that mean you'll be leaving soon?" A youngling, also burned from fire control, asked.

"We aren't leaving until those clankers are scrap metal and you lot are able to stand your ground." Hazard promised.

"Excuse me, but is my daughter going to be alright?" A heavily pregnant local stumped over to Tail, placing a gentle hand on the child's forehead.

"Yes. She's going to have to take it slow for a few days, but she should recover completely." The scout assured, placing a bacta patch over the wound. "She needs to be kept lying down for twenty four hours. Try to keep her still."

On the other side of the room, Streak was tending to a long lineup of minor injuries, from small burns to large cuts to wrenched or dislocated limbs.

"This is a hopeless fight. What chance do we have against the droids?" A young male, just out of youngling-hood, asked.

"A much larger one than you're thinking. If you keep up that attitude and it spreads, though, no chance at all." The commando rebuked, narrowed eyes displaying a fighting spirit that had all but vanished from many of Sharakk's occupants.

Back where Tail was, more unhappy conversation was popping up. Eventually, he got tired of hearing the doom and gloom talk. Twitch, sensing his intentions, started paying less attention to the bacta she was handling and more to the words around her.

"That's enough." The older clone growled, sharpening his tone so it could cut through the rising web of despair. "I don't want to hear any more of that talk, got it? The village will not be destroyed, you're not all going to die, and we aren't going to run, because the droids would have little trouble finding you again."

"Then what do you suggest we do? By the time you get us in fighting shape, the droids will have killed us all." One of the fighters who'd been shot spoke out, sitting up with the assistance of his friend.

"If that's what you really think, then you best just lie down and let the droids kill you." Twitch murmured, not looking up from her work. Silence met the foreboding words, accompanied by stares.

"She's right. There've been a lot of situations in the past six years where the will to survive was the only thing that got people through." Tail sighed, beginning to thread a massive gash closed after cleaning it on someone's leg.

"It's not always easy. Rarely is during wartime. Things always get worse before they get better. Things might haunt you for years after the bad things are gone." The kid soldier picked up, using a tag-team method of explaining with her brother. A very much good cop, bad cop approach to forcing reality on the discouraged militia.

"But if you just give up, you're not going to make it. Fight or flight is usually only a method to postpone battles."

"Sometimes you don't get to pick your battles, but you do get to choose how to deal with them." Twitch bandaged a cut, still not looking at anything besides the next injury, like she couldn't care less about their current situation.

"You can either curl up and give in, push back the enemy, or die trying." Tail swatted the curious hand of a patient as she reached for his med kit.

"Preferably the second one, though." Twitch smirked, her grim amusement at the life of a soldier barely tangible.

_Think we scared them enough?_ Tail checked.

_I thought we were boosting morale,_ she retorted.

_These guys aren't clones. To get us fighting, you only need a few unkind words and the promise of a battle. These people are just..._

_Frightened, unsure, discouraged. Any ideas on how to cheer up civilians?_

_No. They seem to think that this is a doomed fight._

"Excuse me." The inquisitive girl Twitch had noticed during the trench-digging approached her and Tail. "The adults have been talking. A lot of people have. They're all wondering if you'll tell them about your experiences after all the wounded have been tended to." The two soldiers glanced at each other, locking eyes before slightly nodding.

"Alright, where do they want us to speak?" Twitch murmured. In response, the child's right index finger angled at a corner near the lit hearth, away from where most injured would be sleeping.

Before another word could be said, the youngling scampered off.

_Hmm..._ Tail knew that tone. It meant Twitch was thinking up some plan that was not standard issue.

_What're you thinking?_ He asked.

_These people value stories. They seem to be their replacement for fighting. How dirty a look do you suppose you'd give me if I told them about Vhalan? _The first emotion she sensed from her brother was alarm, followed by pain, then undecidedness.

_Care to give me an idea of what you'd say?_

_Of course._

* * *

_A.N. ~ There. Next chapter, you guys finally get to read in detail about what exactly happened to Pyro Squad. I hope you enjoyed this one, despite how short it is. Have a nice day/night!_


	22. War Stories, The Heartbreak Of Victory

_A.N. ~ hi, I'm back with a brand new chapter! _

_Okay, so IMPORTANT: this chapter is rated T because there are unpleasant torture scenes. If you do not wish to go through the emotional trauma of reading about Pyro Squad's fate, it is alright if you skip this chapter. It isn't going to affect the rest of the story, thought there may be references. Finally, what I write and what Twitch and Tail tell the Trandoshans won't always line up; I wrote this specifically for your informational benefit. _

_Okay, now that that's over with, read the chapter, but only enjoy certain parts. If you like everything, you are a horrible, horrible person..._

* * *

_I'm surprised. You usually wouldn't share that with anybody, much less a village of Trandoshan strangers,_ Tail pondered.

_Usually. Right now, I think it's the one of the only ways to keep everyone alive,_ Twitch countered. _But, I'm not going to say anything if you don't want to tell them._

_No, go ahead. I'll lend any information I can._

_...Tail, this isn't going to be easy to tell._

_Don't try to deter me after you've recruited me. Let's go, vod. I'll join in when I think I should._

The two stood and padded on quiet feet over to the corner where they were to tell their story. Almost collectively, half the people in the room followed them, sitting down and respectfully listening in silence.

_Ai, there're a lot of them..._ Tail gulped.

_I take it you'd like me to start first?_ Twitch nearly smiled.

_Yes._

_Just let me figure out how to, and I will._

After an embarrassingly long wait, the young soldier decided on what to say and began.

"Vhalan didn't seem so special at first. Really, it was just another campaign on just another planet, in just another star system. The only really distinguishable thing about it was that General Anakin Skywalker, our usual leader, wasn't in charge that time. Instead, General Tiku was in command of the 501st."

FLASHBACK

"Campaigns." Spitfire grumbled.

"The dumbest way possible to take over a planet." Twitch agreed.

"Yeah, who needs to destroy the entire droid population when you can sneakily kill their leader?" Kal joked.

"That would make the most sense." Spitfire reminded.

"As much as it does, we're doing this the old fashioned way, and I want everyone here in one piece by the end of this, got it?" Said Twitch as Pyro Squad loaded into a LAAT/i gunship, better known as a larty among the clones.

"Yes, ma'am." The older troops chanted.

"But sir, I—"

"Your leg hasn't healed, Hardcase, and I'm not letting you go down there to get shot because you have an adrenaline quota." Rex sternly interrupted. The two men walked past Pyro Squad's larty.

"But—"

"No."

"I—"

"No." Only a vowel sound left Hardcase's mouth before Rex rounded on him again. "One more protest and I'll have Dogma give you a detailed explanation on the regulations for fighting with injuries." That won the argument quickly enough.

"Hmm. Cross, that's one way to make Sarge and Fire sit still." Dodge joked.

"Oh, no, we wouldn't sit still for Dogma, either." Spitfire grinned.

"Invasion's starting. Time to start acting serious again." Twitch reminded, a splintered second before two more squads began walking toward the larty.

"Sorry, can't keep a straight face." Kal snickered. His helmet, of course, was on, causing little difference, except that that made Wing start coughing to hide his laughter.

"I swear, you two are going to die laughing." Adenn grumbled.

"Yes, but only if we're shooting, too." Wing grinned.

"Well, I heard we were going to have shore leave after this, but you guys go ahead and have your heroic deaths. Maybe then it'll be possible to sleep in." Spitfire teased. The squad burst into laughter.

"So touching, how that would be your main concern if anybody died." Kal patted her head.

* * *

"Rough landing imminent. I suggest you lot hold on to something." A pilot warned.

It wasn't technically a landing, but couldn't quite qualify as a crash landing, but it _was_ rather uncomfortable.

The sound of blaster fire electrified the air, building up tension and a nearly tangible battle fever within the stifling confines of the larty cabin.

The second the doors opened and the darkness pierced by a green light, everyone surged out like a breaking wave, opening fire on the droids immediately.

Vhalan was like a dark counterpart to a combined Braxis V and Christophsis. The ground consisted of something like black, hard-packed dirt, while dark blue or purple crystal formations jutted out of the ground at random intervals, some the size of womp rats, and others forming mountains. Skeletal, stone-hard black trees decorated random intervals of the plains.

Lighting flashed in the black sky, brimming with imposing, swirling clouds. A ghostly air shrouded the planet, maybe because no thunder sounded, maybe because everything had an ominous, sharp feeling to it.

The troops took this all in quickly as they looked for something to shoot, zeroing in on strange yellow and grey patches that didn't fit into the landscape properly.

The droids were no better camouflaged than the clones were, putting them on fairly even terms, except for the part where most of the Separatist troops weren't intelligent enough to take cover behind the many jags.

"Go, go, go!" Someone shouted. Pyro Squad took up the shape of an arrowhead, running into the fray without a moment's hesitation.

Fear of death or injury was all but forgotten most of the time. Adrenaline blanked out that underlying terror of a laser bolt's sting or a vibro weapon's bite. Fear would occasionally spike, usually when a grenade was nearby that was addressed 'to whom it may concern', or a tank, a 'general announcement', started blaring its deadly words of plasma.

"All units, advance. I want a couple of platoons to flank the droids on either side." Tiku ordered over the comm. Twitch instantly decided she didn't like his voice, or wording, but shook it off as paranoia. A lot of good people had unlikable voices, though Skywalker always refered to his men as troops, not 'units'.

"Man down!" Somebody nearby called.

"Cross, go help. Spitfire, cover him." Twitch ordered. The two broke off, and the remaining members drew in closer to fill the gap they'd left.

As soon as they found cover, the eight men and one teenager knelt before methodically rearing up and ducking down, trigger fingers in sync with their movements.

"Hey, Sarge. Just did a diagnostic on this crystal with my HUD." Tail said, a grin creeping over his face.

"And?" The girl prompted, shooting down a couple of B1s.

"In short, if one absorbs enough energy, boom."

"Would bolts from our guns do it?"

"Yes." Twitch knelt with her back to the crystal, activating her comm and going to Rex's channel.

"Captain, apparently these crystals can explode if they absorb enough energy, which includes blaster bolts."

"Stand by."

_Probably asking the General whether we should turn this place into a minefield or not, _Twitch thought with a ghost of a smile.

"Attention all units. Concentrate fire on any and all crystal formations near the droids." Tiku ordered.

"Good work, Tail." Twitch congratulated.

Soon, a pattern seemed to become apparent. Dark purple formations were mainly inert, and took longer to explode. Any crystals that were to the breaking point turned a light blue, regardless of their former shade. Obviously, that meant the blue patches took the most fire first.

Massive chunks of glowing crystalline stone tore apart the enemy ranks, crushing the droids in mass.

"Well, this is certainly interesting." Spitfire grinned, crouching next to Twitch. Cross took cover next to Dodge, looking over the carnage of the droids' half of the battlefield.

"Very. The blue ones are easiest to explode, by the way." Chopper informed.

"I wonder what would happen if a popper went off near one of those..." Twitch mused.

"Too late. It looks like they're retreating." Jax grumbled.

"A perfect opportunity to shoot them in the backs." Adenn stood and switched the DC-15S he'd been using for his preferred Z-6 rotary blaster cannon, walking out of cover and unleashing a barrage of laser bolts.

Spitfire began slinking away, silent and nearly unnoticed. Twitch caught the back of her shirt by the collar.

"Don't even think it."

"Ohhh." The younger girl protested.

She'd been planning as many things as possible to make the droids' lives worse, all out of formation and solo.

* * *

Near the battlefield, the GAR soldiers made camp. It was a fairly secured position, and guard shifts had been set up.

Tiku was covering the next leg of the plan with anybody bearing the rank sergeant or higher. Their next step was to destroy a droid factory, but the problem was that there were only a few ways from their current position to reach it. The actual problem was that every way seemed to be a perfect ambush site for the droids.

_This is a very bad idea,_ Twitch thought as the Jedi traced his finger along the attack route they would be taking, a holographic map showing the surrounding area.

"Any questions?" Tiku finally asked.

"Sir, all due respect, but this could very well be a trap." The teenager said. Skywalker had started encouraging her to speak her piece whenever she had something to contribute, and after some convincing, she'd began doing so.

At first, some of the older soldiers were sceptical of the new allowance at best, protesting at the worst. The complaints stopped, however, when Twitch had given them nothing useless after several meetings.

"Sergeant Twitch does have a point, sir. I suggest we send scouts to be sure." Rex added.

"That droid factory is sure to be operational any day now. We don't have _time_ to scout ahead." Tiku snarled.

Alarm bells rang in Twitch's head, because a certain Jedi had once said something very similar, and it had cost a lot of lives.

_Not another Umbara. If he makes this like Umbara, I will not stand by silently, and Rex very likely won't, either,_ she vowed.

* * *

"Ma'am, the General wants your squad up in front." The trooper seemed to be a rookie. His armour was barely marred with the colours of the battlefield and bore no scratches, though his voice carried the weight of the world.

_He sounds like he just went through hell. Did he lose his close brother? Squad mates? That was the tone most of us spoke with after the Shaliz'Na incident,_ Twitch wondered.

She nodded and quietly ordered her men to follow, slipping to the frontline with a strange lack of noise. The black earth swallowed all sounds, which made the droids that much more dangerous. Clankers without their clank could be an issue.

Almost as soon as Pyro Squad was in place, Tiku slinked up. You didn't have to be a Jedi to sense his ire. Rex had continued 'respectfully requesting' scouts until the Force-user got sick of listening to him and agreed.

"Sergeant, since you are so sure this is a trap, you will take your squad and scout for droids." And that was that.

"You heard him. Split into pairs and rendezvous with the main force at twenty hundred." It was already nineteen hundred, so one hour would likely give them enough time to search adequately for droids.

Wing and Kal, Spitfire and Chopper, Cross and Dodge, Jax and Adenn, and finally, Twitch and Tail all split up in different directions, fanning out to cover as much ground as possible.

* * *

"What's the face?" Tail asked as he and his friend walked. Twitch's expression had been locked in a perpetual scowl, accompanied by nervous movements like chewing the inside of her cheek, looking around with unseeing eyes, and a hand hovering near her hip at all times.

"The face I always wear." She retorted, picking up the pace to a jog

"Uh-huh. Well, I'm pretty sure it's also the face you always wear when something is wrong."

"Nothing worth worrying about. It's just a bad feeling." The corporal shrugged, deciding to leave the matter alone.

The disturbing silence of Vhalan enveloped them once again, stifling the air with the animalistic paranoia of something lurking nearby, unseen but full of malicious intent.

There was no apparent animal life to give them warnings of approaching danger, no ways to know if something was about to happen. In short, it was nerve-racking for the members of Pyro Squad as the snuck through a jagged labyrinth of dark crystals.

About twenty five minutes into the scouting mission, it was apparent something had gone wrong. Nobody had commed in. That was bad enough alone, but the silence was no longer absolute. Scraping noises randomly emanated from behind and to the sides of Tail and Twitch.

They couldn't see the source of the sound, but something was definitely stalking them.

What happened next was a blur for both soldiers, it occurred so quickly. Something hit Twitch and she fell, nearly unconscious. Tail blocked the next kick of the commando droid, but a second grabbed him from behind in a chokehold.

The two droids were lucky enough to get as much forewarning as they did, as the one that had attacked first saw only a white blur and its comrade fall, headless, to the ground a moment before joining him.

Twitch staggered to her feet, rubbing the tender spot where she'd been hit.

_All that warning of what a commando droid might do to you, and this is what happens,_ Spitefire grinned, fully intending to state the thought out loud.

She walked in front of the two, spreading her hands to either side, palms up as she faced them.

Everything suddenly slowed down for the three. Twitch noticed something moving a moment before several red laser bolts were fired, all hitting the younger child in the back. A look of surprise and pain replaced the teasing grin that had been there only a moment before as she fell.

Twitch caught her sister, kneeling to avoid the still-coming fire. Shock at how quickly the other soldier had died filled the sergeant. Then Tail was dragging her away, leaving Spitfire's body behind and fleeing the droideka that had snuck up on them.

They got only thirty feet before more commandos ambushed them, firing stun blasts to form a web of plasma.

* * *

_This…is a cage. The droids didn't kill us? But they killed Spitfire. Did they kill Tail? What about everyone else?_ Twitch bit her lip, eyes opened to slits. She could tell her gauntlets were missing, as well as her guns. Soon, she became conscious enough of her surroundings to realize that she was in a containment field, not a cage.

_Why did they kill Spitfire, but not us? Is Twitch even conscious yet? She's a lot smaller than us, but the stun blasts wouldn't keep her down too long. If she just looked up, she'd know that everyone is alright,_ Tail wondered. The room they were in was illuminated only by the machines holding the soldiers, adding to the dangerous feeling of it.

Eventually, Twitch did look up, and saw that there were eight other people, also in containment fields, positioned to form a circle. All of Pyro Squad was present, less one.

Chopper was staring at the ground with wide, unblinking eyes, a stricken expression masking his face.

No one was sure how it happened, but he and Spitfire had somehow ended up as brother-and-sister-by-choice. Now, the scarred man was trying to cope with the loss of his sister.

Besides the silence and sense of grief in the room, everyone seemed to be alright.

A tall man, crowned with grey hair and wearing a goatee, walked in, strutting around the circle of clones. Twitch, when the man got close enough, tried pulling her legs free to wrap them around his neck, but to no avail. The high-tech restraints were simply too strong.

"I think I'll start with this one." Dooku said, pointing at Jax as he gazed tauntingly at the sergeant. "After all, you went through so much trouble to save him in the first place." A silver, shiny spear came flying out of the shadows, landing perfectly in the Count's hands.

He ran a finger over the smooth metal, appreciating the even edges and sturdy build of it.

"Leave them out of this. I know who you're angry at, and it's not them. Take it out on me!" Twitch growled, glaring through narrowed eyes at the Sith.

"I am." Dooku shoved the spearhead into Jax's arm, drawing out a hiss of pain. All the Republican troops collectively lunged toward the cruel man, held still as he drew back the weapon and began scribbling on Jax's bare arms. Now that Twitch actually looked, she realized all of her subordinates were shirtless, a chilling promise that none of them would be left unharmed.

It took hours for Jax to bleed out and die, long enough to drive nearly everyone in the room over the edge with anger. The sniper had no brother-by-choice ever since Decker had died, which was possibly for the better in their current situation.

Next, Chopper was slowly skinned by several Force-wielded arrows, and by the time he died, it was a mercy. Adenn went next, killed by acid. That was where the Count decided to leave off, and he left with a hellish glee in his eyes.

The moment the Sith was out of the room, Twitch began looking at her arms with narrowed eyes, determined to find some weakness in the magnetic cuffs that held her.

"Dodge, any ideas?" She asked, all the while trying (and failing) to pull her arms closer to her face.

"Not at the moment." He replied quietly. The sergeant noticed that everyone, including herself, was shaking. Maybe it was shock, or grief or anger, but at the moment, her only focus was to get everyone out. The part where her dead squad members were still hanging in their containment fields didn't help, though.

The other clones began struggling as well, pushing their sorrow down for later. Survival was top priority.

Kal died next, stabbed repeatedly by a sword, leaving behind the pain of the living and a distraught Wing. Then Cross was killed, slowly electrocuted by Dooku's hand. Wing was cut, piece by tiny piece, until blood loss ended his life. The Sith burned Dodge alive. All their bodies were left, undisturbed, in their containment fields.

"I could sense your concern for this one ever since you arrived. I wonder what makes him so special." Dooku walked slowly around the corporal, most likely planning some way to kill him that was unique from the rest.

_Get away from me,_ Tail wanted to scream.

_How can he take pleasure in this? How can anyone enjoy this?_ Twitch looked over the bodies of her dead brothers, struggling to suppress a wave of nausea.

Dooku left and returned with a hot poker. His lips were twisted in a cruel smile and his eyes, hard and alight with bloodlust, reflected the orange light of the heated metal.

The Sith pressed his new tool of pain into Tail's chest, drawing out a groan. Two days earlier, when they'd just been captured, the scout would have stayed silent for much longer. However, hunger, grief, and raw emotions had left him vulnerable.

Tail eventually went limp, deathly still. Dooku sent a few lightning bolts into the clone's body, hummed in satisfaction, and nodded to Twitch before leaving. The click of a lock could be heard, and then the containment fields were deactivated and a dim yellow light replaced their glow.

The cloying scent of blood, fresh and dried, filed the room, and when the sergeant collapsed, she could feel the stuff soaking into her clothes. That was when the tears began and she crawled to Tail, lifting his shoulders up and hugging him.

_This must be a nightmare. Please just let me wake up so this will be over,_ she silently begged. _They can't be dead. Spitfire will shove me off my bunk like she always does when I sleep in, and then Tail will frown at her as he tries not to laugh, right? While everybody else is either at the Mess, or gym, or still in the barrack, also laughing. Yeah that's how I'm going to wake up, and this will be over and everyone will be alive._

The shaking of an explosion mutely announced the arrival of a rescue team to the child. Men in blue and white hurried in, lights attached to their helmets flashing. A pair of Jaig eyes came into Twitch's direct line of sight, blocking her view of the bloody mess that surrounded them.

Two medics, probably Kix and Coric, started checking vitals. The latter of the two was amazed that, when he checked, Tail's vital signs weren't completely gone, only dangerously low.

Twitch wasn't quite sure what happened next. She could remember flashes; a strong arm around her shoulders showing the path to freedom, the bodies of her men being carried by troops, and Kix carrying Tail as they ran for the exit.

Apparently, they had been on a space station near Vhalan, and the _Resolute_ itself had attached to the complex. Skywalker had come since there were reports that either Dooku, prisoners, or both may have been on board.

The next thing Twitch knew, she was lying in a bed, in a spacious room that she recognized as her squad's barrack. The girl slowly sat up, looking at the bunks in confusion. Pyro Squad never had such a tidy room unless there was an inspection.

What was stranger still was that no one had woken her up, intentional or not. The chrono above the door indicated that the time was oh nine hundred, so by then Spitfire was more than likely to have pushed Twitch out of bed and onto the floor.

"Spitfire…Spitfire didn't make it. She was gunned down and we had to leave her behind." The girl murmured slowly. She suddenly realized what she had said and froze, blinking rapidly as though to clean something out of her eyes.

Images of torn bodies swamped her vision and she clutched her head, remembering the terrible events of the Vhalan campaign at an agonizingly fast rate. The capture, the torture, the total annihilation of her squad.

_No, no, not all of them. Coric said Tail was alive, didn't he? Only Tail, though?_

Twitch began crying again, hugging her pillow to her body and burying her face in it. While she was in the barrack, Tail was finally waking up in the medical bay, just taken out of a bacta tank.

He also needed a few minutes to remember what had happened, and once he did, merely sat in his bed as he struggled with the loss.

Eventually, he was cleared to leave, and Twitch, after running out of tears to spend, made her way to Rex's office; the one place she could think of going to. The med bay, after her recent experiences, was an emotional impossibility.

The captain wasn't there when she arrived, so the sergeant just looked around. Rex's desk was a mess, as usual, but everything else seemed in order: his locker, where he kept his armour and weapons (currently unoccupied), his neatly made bed, located in the back of the large room. The door to his refresher was closed, common when he was out of the room.

When Twitch ran out of things to look at, she began pacing, trying to make sense of what had happened, starting with Spitfire's death and ending with her waking up on the_ Resolute. _She couldn't.

Finally, footsteps in the doorway spun the waiting girl to face Rex, who'd just looked up from the datapad he'd been reading. They were both stock still for several seconds, eyes meeting with the weariness of two strangers.

"Did Tail make it?" Twitch rasped.

"Yes. He's probably out of the bacta tank by now."

"Did anyone else survive?" In response, Rex grabbed a pouch attached next to his helmet, both clipped to the utility belt that was GAR standard issue, and handed it to the girl. The clinking of metal told the sergeant what was inside before she opened it.

Twitch reached in anyway and lifted up a pair of dog tags, the ones that belonged to Jax and Chopper. Any blood that may have gotten on them had already been washed away, but the room still seemed to clog up with the stench of death.

* * *

Tail and Twitch meeting had been quiet and nearly wordless, and watching the bodies of their squad mates slide down a chute into the ship's burning center was painful, to say the least.

For a long time, the two survivors robotically woke up, went to the Mess Hall, completed any duties they were to perform, visited the gym, showered, and returned to their barrack to sleep and then repeat the process.

The next time Torrent Company engaged droids, Twitch and Tail seemed to become far more vicious in their attacks. Twitch even went so far as to catching a flying grenade, twisting in place to keep up its momentum, and hurled the weapon right back at the Separatist troops. Tail advanced, lull in enemy fire or not, only taking cover if absolutely necessary.

They eventually began recovering, talking a little more with each other, then others, starting to fight with marginal sanity, and even managing a few smiles every now and again.

Vhalan had been captured, and in a way, Pyro Squad had helped. By not reporting in, that gave the main force some warning of the waiting droids and therefore saved many lives that otherwise may have been lost.

* * *

FLASHBACK END

The time was oh two hundred in the morning. Outside of the hall, rain beat the land with its heavy droplets, and unlike Vhalan, booming thunder followed the lighting.

Twitch and Tail had taken turns telling the story, often when the other couldn't continue talking with a steady voice or couldn't remember. They had attracted most of the people in the building, including Streak and Hazard, both of whom were quietly sitting at the back of the crowd.

Finally, the two survivors of Pyro Squad stood, drawing the attention of everyone present.

"You should sleep now. We'll resume training in the morning." Twitch said. The Trandoshans slowly dispersed to different parts of the room, a few braving the storm to reach their homes.

Hazard and Streak stood as their squad mates neared them. All four clones looked exhausted, and only nodded to each other. Talking could happen in the morning. Right then, it was time to rest.

* * *

_A.N. ~ for the record, I took next to no pleasure in writing this chapter._


	23. What A Comforting Thought

Morning brought a chilly mist and sense of normalcy with it. Twitch couldn't quite explain the feeling, but it was there.

For reasons she couldn't imagine, neither Tail or herself had been plagued by nightmares after speaking about Vhalan in such painful detail, which was an unusual but welcome change.

_I'm going to look for the droids' camp tonight. As soon as I can. Do you think you guys would mind in case I don't come back for a while? _Twitch asked.

_You sure you want to do this alone? _Her brother was being his usual semi-protective self. A welcome consistency.

_Anyone else would be either too loud or dressed in white armor, which, by the way, is not so great camouflage out here._

_Some time we're going to be on a planet like Hoth, and then you'll have nothing to complain about._

_True, but ninety-eight percent of the time, I do. Anyways, do you mind if I disappear for…probably a couple days?_

_Come back in one piece, _he ordered.

_Yes, sir._

* * *

Twitch returned in three days, in the evening, smudged with black grease, singed around the edges, and a weary, yet pleased expression dominating her face.

Her squad mates rushed over to hear the news, but not a word could get out prior to her right hand lifting.

"Before you ask, the droid camp was blown up. Suffice it to say the clanker population in this region consists of only a few."

"We didn't bring any grenades," Streak pointed out.

"Yeah, like that would stop me." The teenager retorted.

"Huh. Well, at least now we can train without that to worry about." Hazard grinned.

"Unless the tinnies that survived have a death wish." Twitch smiled slightly as they began walking back into the village.

* * *

The squad of commandos, by the time they began traveling back to Coruscant, left behind a village of well defended, highly capable Trandoshans.

"I'd say that went well." Hazard grinned, stretching in his seat.

"I'd say it did at that." Twitch rubbed her right calf, irritated at how her old battle injury was acting up.

_Here's hoping the Seps leave them alone, now, _she worried.

_Knowing them, no, but I'm sure the point will get through eventually, _Tail reassured.

_If they don't, we can always come back and blow them up again._

_True enough._

"Save the celebrating, girls." Streak ordered, earning a bemused look from Twitch, who was unsure whether that counted as an insult or not. "Orders just came in through our HUDs. We're being dropped off on a planet called Adion. The locals are mechanics, not fighters, and now apparently, they want help with droid issues. Basically, Twitch needs to blow something up again."

"Also, it looks like they have an invention the Seppies want that nobody wants to give." Tail added, also reading through the stream of data scrolling inside his helmet.

"And by now, calling us girls isn't an insult." Hazard pointed out.

"Don't know when it started being one in the first place." Twitch muttered, taking her favorite spot on the right side of the room, left if someone came in from the cockpit, in the corner farthest the docking ramp. She leaned against the wall, folding her left leg in and using her right to stay balanced before attempting to doze off.

* * *

Twitch and Tail instantly recognized the steampunk-like landscape, thinking back to the one they'd been in during the holoroom section of their commando training.

The ground was comprised of metal slabs or massive bronze cogs, whilst the buildings seemed to be made of metal as well. The air was warm, perhaps even stuffy, and smoke rose from many chimneys.

Villagers began swarming the clones, asking about protection and help and how they would deal with the droids. The population mainly consisted of humans, but there were also a few Twi'leks, Rodians, and even the odd Quarren or two.

Most wore goggles, leather helmets, and leather gloves, along with clothing covered with burn and grease marks. Belts filled with tools such as pliers, screwdrivers, hammers, and many others, all of different sizes and make, adorned the majority of hips.

A little girl struggled through the crowd and tugged on Tail's hand. She was scrawny, dirty, but looked hopeful.

"Are you going to make the droids go away?" She asked.

"Yes," the scout replied, "we are." Everyone seemed to release a pent up breath, permeating the air with a sense of relief.

"The factory!" A man yelled, running down the street with a finger pointing behind him. "The droids are attacking the factory again!"

"Show us the way there." Twitch ordered.

* * *

Whatever it was the locals were making, the droids definitely wanted it. Two magnaguards, a squad of SBDs, and two more squads of B1s all marched in front of an octuptarra combat tri-droid.

"Where's Twitch?" Hazard sighed.

"Don't know." Tail mumbled, opening fire on the line of B1s.

In the back of the droid ranks, where the octuptarra and magnaguards were, Twitch suddenly appeared, killing one of the two smaller droid off the bat and grabbing its electrostaff. The surviving guard brought its weapon down to hit her head, which was blocked by the middle of Twitch's stolen staff.

The teenager twirled her weapon behind her back as she spun away from her opponent, then used it to vault onto the nearest leg that the octuptarra had to her without dropping the staff, grabbing onto the crook of the bent limp and getting up by swinging her feet on top of the metal, all in one fluid motion.

Twitch then proceeded to cut the end of the closest laser turret cannon off, leaping to the next leg, and repeating before scrambling to the top of the massive machine. She cut a square of the outer metal off, revealing a tangle of circuitry illuminated by a deep orange light. The girl stabbed her pilfered elecrtostaff in without a second though, drawing her guns afterwards to add several laser bolts to the damage.

As the droid began to fall, she swung down and tripped up the last magnaguard, kicking it so it was directly under the octuptarra when it collapsed.

While all that had been going on, the older clones were shooting and running to and fro, occasionally darting in for hand-to-hand with the droids.

Hazard, on seeing the octuptarra go down, made his way to the wreckage and took a spot on top of it, sniping with a one shot, one kill ratio. He noticed Twitch charging into the droid ranks with an electrostaff out of his eye's corner, and then had full view of her spinning the weapon around as she crushed, smashed, and sliced the machines without a pause in momentum.

Tail, seeing how distracted the droids were at that point, got up close and personal with the B1s, shooting their heads point blank, hitting them, with his fists or gun, and was soon joined by Streak.

The SBDs would have helped their comrades, except that they were being attacked by a girl that was either shooting, electrocuting, or halving any mechanical being that was within arm's reach. It didn't take long for the clones to be the only ones standing.

Hazard slid down the octuptarra, pointed at it as he walked to Twitch, and said, "that still only counts as one!" She grinned, leaning on the electrostaff while sheathing her arm-blades.

"In that case, I still got eleven." There had been thirty-three droids in all.

"Nine." The sniper muttered.

"Seven." Tail picked his way through the pieces of droids to join them.

"Obviously, that leaves me at six." Streak said.

"Scores aside, that was definitely overkill on the droids' part." Tail reminded.

"Definitely." Twitch sighed, head hanging and left hand now planted on her hip. She was starting to feel the awkward twists her body had endured in the battle. Everyone else, Hazard aside, was also beginning to ache, especially their fists, which had connected with metal more than once.

"Magnificent!" Someone exclaimed. The commandos looked to see a dark blue Twi'lek, goggles resting on forehead and wearing a dark brown leather outfit, examining the destroyed octuptarra. "What a finely crafted machine! A good deal of damage to its circuitry, mind you, but an amazing bit of engineering, nonetheless."

_He does remember that thing could've been what killed him, right? _Twitch sighed, slightly amused as the civilian flitted from one place to another, looking over any bits that caught his eye.

_He doesn't seem to care. This is probably any mechanic's dream, _Tail grinned in the confines of his helmet when the Twi'lek tripped and nosedived into a pile of droid pieces.

"Yes, yes, yes, fiiine, fine…" The excited local jabbered, assurance directed at no one in particular.

"Y-you did it." A woman called, one amidst a crowd of townspeople who were just running up to the scene of the fight.

"They doubted us that much?" Hazard grumbled to Streak.

"Doubters and doers and all kinds of others." The Twi'lek said, walking to the clones while hunched over a B1's head, only partially paying them any attention.

"Thanks for clearing that up." Twitch muttered. A B2 sat up, its glitching voice making unintelligible sounds. The Twi'leks overjoyed expression dropped into horror and grief as several laser bolts from all four of the commandos finished it.

"Aaaiiiiaaagh!" He wailed, running to the felled droid, clutching his lekku in distress. "It was a perfect specimen!"

"Never thought I'd see the day." Twitch mumbled.

"Ah, yes, Talus is a bit of a strange one, but a brilliant inventor." A human man with somewhat pudgy features and a band of fabric holding back his ear-length hair said, stumbling over the droids to reach the clones. He looked to be in his late twenties, with dark green eyes, dirty blond hair, and a sense of authority about him.

"Well, he seems to be happy enough for the moment." Hazard tilted his bucket to where the Twi'lek was sifting through dismembered droid parts.

"He won't be leaving here for a while, that's for sure. My name is Gondo."

"Mine is Tail. I'm a medic. This is Streak, our mechanic, Hazard, our sniper, and Twitch is our explosives expert."

"Excellent. If there's anything I or any of us can do to help, please say so. We want to do as much as we can."

* * *

_The camp is too well guarded for me to sneak in. No way to blow them up right now, _Twitch reported.

_I guess that means we'll have to stay a while, until they get the message that they aren't getting what they came for, _Tail muttered.

_I'm all for a good fight, but they might call reinforcements. I don't fancy dealing with a campaign._

_Do you think you could destroy their communications center?_

_Ummm…this won't be pretty._

Twitch, from her perch above the droids' camp, eventually managed to spot a large, circular device that was three feet high and four feet wide. Cables ran from it in all directions.

_There you are. Now for a well-placed det. _The thought was confined to her own mind, though no less satisfactory than if it had been shared.

The girl grabbed one of the two thermal detonators attached to her belt and rolled it in her hand, debating whether she could throw it accurately from the large cog that stuck out of a building, forty feet up where she currently was, or if changing position was necessary.

The dusk hid her well, but patrols of droids were already prowling near the camp's perimeter, and getting where she already was had been hard enough. Eventually, Twitch decided to stay put and took aim, drawing back her arm.

_Boom_.

Seeing the explosion was good enough, so the teenager began running down the spiral of cogs that seemed to exist only for the purpose of up and downward movement. She jumped the last six feet and began at a sprint for the town.

The sound of blaster fire made her push harder, unfortunately right into a droid patrol. Twitch had been running up a slight rise which had a two foot gap that bridged over a path, and the droids were coming from the right, so she pushed off the edge at an angle, colliding with and destroying one of the three SBDs.

At close range, the machines had little chance, but did slow Twitch down. At least, slow enough for a pursuing B2 to fire a grenade at her. She was knocked over, stunned, but managed to roll out of the line of fire and start running again. Her leg was hurt in some way, hindering progress.

It had taken half a day's traveling to reach the camp on two good legs.

_I have to hide. I'll be late coming back, _she said, limping into cover.

_What happened, are you alright?_

_My leg is hurt. If they find me, I can fight my way out, _she assured.

Twitch managed to find a sort of scrap yard, which offered many different nooks and crannies. Eventually, she stumbled upon a sort of small tunnel network among a massive heap of junk that offered multiple escape routes if need be.

She crawled to the center of it, where a small cavern-like space opened up, giving her legroom and the ability to sit up comfortably. Her leg didn't seem to be broken anywhere when she checked it, though it was extremely tender and bruises were forming.

After a couple hours of vigilance, Twitch began to doze off, escaping from her aches and bruises.

* * *

"Who is she?"

"Gunther, stay back!"

"I'm just getting a closer look. I'll be alright."

The stage whispering of three children woke Twitch. She remained perfectly still as the warm breath of another living being touched her cheek. She was tempted to yell and scare them, but decided against it.

The sound of scurrying feet brought two more people close to her. The teenager could tell they had come nearer, not retreated, though couldn't quite pin how. Maybe the noises, maybe a shift in the air currents, but Twitch knew three small bodies were crowded around her.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you." She quietly murmured. There were alarmed cries and the thumping of tiny feet drawing away as her eyes opened. A small, greenish-blue Twi'lek male was peaking at her nervously form around a corner. Two smaller female Twi'leks, probably younger and both dusty orange, were just behind him.

"I won't hurt you, I promise. My name is Twitch." The commando said calmly. She couldn't help but think of Jek and Shaeeah, and Numa, while she was listing. Weary yet curious, and all young and brave.

"What do you want?" Who Twitch suspected was Gunther came slightly farther into view.

"I was being chased by droids and they injured me. I didn't know anybody was here. I'm sorry, I just had to hide."

"You have guns. Are you a soldier?" The younglings inched farther into the cavern.

"Yes, one of the Republic's troops. I'm on your side."

"How do we know this isn't a trick?" Gunther challenged. Twitch noticed he had a shiny, copper slab in one hand that was probably used as a makeshift knife.

She slowly unclipped her belt and tossed it out of reach, the knives and her guns in it all clattering. She then put her arms out to either side, leaving her completely vulnerable to attack.

"I'm unarmed. I don't want any trouble, and I'm willing to bet you don't, either." The children were all the way back in.

"My name is Gunther. This is Hansa and Niffu." The little girls slowly looked past the older Twi'lek, meeting Twitch's friendly gaze.

"Are you three alone here?"

"Why?" Gunther was instantly suspicious again.

"I can get you back to the town where people you might recognize are. Do you know Gondo, or Talus?" Niffu made a face and Hanza crossed her arms with a humph.

"Talus is weird and Gondo is a liar." Niffu announced angrily.

"He left us to the droids, and didn't even try to help our parents." Gunther spat.

"Wait, are you saying he left you for dead?" Twitch asked.

"More than that. He told the droids where to find us!" Niffu said. "We were out and decided to follow him, and he was talking to some droids over a holoprojector. He told them where to attack."

"Well, that's a problem. My squad mates are at the town now, and if Gondo's a traitor, they might get hurt."

_Tail, find Gondo, find out if he's a traitor, and k'oyacyi, _she ordered, relaying the conversation to him.

_Right. I'll check that out, _he promised.

Hanza's stomach rumbled, catching Twitch's attention. She slowly grabbed her belt under Gunther's watchful eye, and pulled out the two ration bars she had.

"They aren't very tasty, but they should help." The soldier offered them to the children, who all weren't very willing to trust the small rolls.

"What if they're poisoned?" Gunther asked.

"I'm not sure how to convince you that I'm a friendly, other than that I'm already unarmed and injured."

"You can call your squad, right? And have them tell us it's alright?" The boy suggested.

"Can't. If the droids tap into my comm channel, they could pinpoint where we are." Hanza suddenly snatched away one of the ration bars and began nibbling on it, drawing horrified gasps from her siblings.

"It's safe." She mumbled before continuing to eat. Gunther slowly took the remaining bar and sniffed it.

"Oh, for goodness' sake!" Niffu sighed, grabbing it and taking a bite. The three shared what there was. From what Twitch could tell, Gunther was the eldest, Niffu the middle child, and Hanza was the youngest, and quietest.

The teenager crossed her legs, wincing as she folded the left one in. It had stiffened up since she'd fallen asleep.

"Why are you so far from town? Gunther murmured, sitting down, too.

"I could ask you the same thing. I was at the droids' camp, sabotaging their communications center. Can't have them calling for reinforcements, after all."

"We haven't gone back because of Gondo. Nobody listens to children. We wouldn't be able to tell anyone about him." Gunther grumbled.

"I believe you. You may be young, but that doesn't mean you're lying." Twitch promised. Niffu sat down next to the commando and snuggled against her. Twitch hesitantly put an arm over the small Twi'lek's shoulders. Hanza took her lap, and Gunther, after a rather long refusal to be cuddled by a girl, or anyone, finally burrowed against Twitch's left side, also being held by an arm.

Hanza seemed to be about four, Niffu looking roughly seven, and Gunther likely eight or late into his seventh year of life.

_I can't believe anyone would leave them to die… _She thought sadly. The words hadn't been received by Tail, but he could sense her sudden melancholy.

_Hey, vod'ika. Guess what Hazard did._

_Hmm? _She knew he was trying to cheer her up, and knowing Tail, she was about to have a sudden increase in amusement.

_He tried getting Talus to leave the droid parts alone and Talus started throwing bits of metal at him. It snowballed into a scrap fight between the two until Streak managed to convince Hazard to leave it be._

That did make Twitch inwardly laugh.

_That'll teach him to mess with somebody's junk, _she snickered.

_It's a good thing he had his bucket on, too, since Talus got a headshot in with a B1's head._

_All that dodgeball and a crazy civvy hit him? For shame!_

_Absolutely. He won't be hearing the end of this for a looong time._

_If anything is certain. I'm going to be held up a little longer with these kids, but I'm sure we'll get there before the end of the week._

_Good to hear. Be safe, vod._

_Safe? You're on the wrong telepathic channel if you think that word has any influence._

_What a comforting thought…_

* * *

_A.N. ~ Chapter Twenty-Four will be worked on, and be finished when it's finished. Bye, then!_

**MANDO'A DEFINITIONS AND PRONUNCIATION:  
**

**K'oyacyi: [koy-AH-shee] cheers, hang in there, come back safely. (Literally a command:) stay alive**


	24. A Type Of Beast

_A.N. ~ hey, guess who's back? Twitch, and three small, suspicious Twi'leks! Also, thanks to CaylithTheGolden, and her excellent point, I will be pluralizing anything in Mando'a with 'E', as they tend not to use 'S'. _

* * *

By the time the three children woke up and agreed to go back with Twitch, it was midnight. A perfect time in the soldier's opinion for travel, though not so much for the Twi'lek siblings. They were nervously looking around, grabbing Twitch's arms at the slightest noises, and complaining about how scared they were.

Well, Gunther was less vocal, but he was still obviously terrified, just too proud to admit it. Hanza, at some point, had thrown herself to the ground with a muttered 'too tired', and had to be carried by the commando.

Her injured leg was still a bother to Twitch, but at least Hanza was light enough to not make much of a difference.

It was around noon when they stumbled to the fringes of the town, where sentries, no doubt posted by one of the other clones, greeted them. The children clung onto Twitch and refused to be separated from her as she limped after the leading woman to where the other commandos were, all of whom stood simultaneously.

"The droids won't be calling for reinforcements any time soon." The teenager stated, gently setting down Hanza, who was asleep, before sitting down on one of the crates. They were in a warehouse, abandoned, therefore a suitable base of operations.

The woman who had escorted the younglings left, giving them enough privacy to speak freely.

"And they are?" Hazard knelt, removing his helmet to come to eye-level with Gunther.

"Gunther, Hanza, and Niffu. They were living alone when I met them." Tail began checking on Twitch's leg as she spoke, pressing and poking different points.

_Did you find anything useful about Gondo? _She asked.

_Not yet, but he couldn't have left no evidence._

Twitch doubted the kids were lying. They had that stubborn, almost petty dislike that most children expressed when someone they genuinely hated was mentioned. Even quiet little Hanza, who had an extremely mellow personality, expressed anger and disgust towards the green-eyed engineer.

All the while the two had been thinking, together or separately, Hazard had accidentally said something or other to offend Gunther, who had taken it upon himself to tackle the older male and pin him to the ground. Hazard, being himself, took it in good nature and played along, allowing the child to hold him until Gunther's ego had been sated.

Niffu, not one to be left out, jumped on Hazard the moment her brother had moved and got her scrawny arms around his neck in a headlock, laughing happily as he exaggerated gagging noises and struggled before flopping over and playing dead.

Hanza promptly ignored her siblings and waddled over to Streak, who was sitting on a nearby crate, laughing at his brother's antic. His DC-15S blaster leaned against a nearby crate, a grapple cable cluttered on his lap.

The girl picked up the fibercord and grappling hook, then grabbed the device that retracted and stored the long rope.

"Heh, been trying to fix that." He explained.

Hanza snatched up the rest of the cord and plopped down on the floor, opening up the dark grey metal to tinker with its inner workings. She assumed a common posture among many mechanics, back bent, the object of her attention held in one hand close to her face and her other hand nimbly working on the machine.

"I've been trying for a while. I don't think you're going to have much luck in two minutes." He said after a frustrated grunt from the child. She only mumbled something unintelligible without sparing one glance at the soldier.

Suddenly, the coil of rope sped back into its sheath, the grapple causing a small racket as it clattered into place. Streak stared dumbly at Hanza as she offered the grapple, a triumphant smile dominating her face.

"Oi, Streak, she's a better mechanic than you are!" Hazard grinned, knuckling his friend's head.

"She's a talented kid, no doubt there." Hanza smiled and clambered onto Streak's lap, wrapping her arms around his armored torso and resting her head on her shoulder. He hesitantly patted her head, causing the child's grip to tighten.

Gunther and Niffu were content to watch their sister before starting to fall asleep. Hanza dropped off in Streak's lap, Gunther with his back to a crate, and Niffu on the ground with her head resting on the elder Twi'lek's lap.

Tail shrugged eventually and left his sister be, sitting several feet away on his own empty crate. They locked eyes and became very still.

_From what I can tell, you have bruised bones, but nothing broken. I'm probably wasting my words, but take it easy, _he ordered.

_If I had a credit for every time I heard that…_

_Then maybe you should stop getting hurt all the kriffing time!_

_I never intentionally do so. However, when I blow up something in the middle of a heavily guarded droid camp, it's hard not to._

"You two having a conversation or something?" Hazard asked with a grin.

"Yes, Hazard. See, we're secretly telepaths and talk to each other all day long." Twitch said, face completely serious. Tail chuckled to hide his concern over her openness.

"Ha, ha. Sure you are. I swear you di'kute are sarcastic enough for five platoons." The sniper grumbled.

"We had to be. Do you know how boring it could get around the 212th?" Tail joked.

"We'll take your words for it."

* * *

_…Is this it? All the battles, all the death and suffering…after all this, are we going to die here? _Twitch tried getting to her feet, but her shaking arms couldn't support the weight and she collapsed to the cold metal ground.

_It'll be alright, vod'ika. Just…just close your eyes. _Tail weakly stretched his arm to his sister, who slowly, staggeringly reached out and took his hand in her own.

_Spitfire's never gonna let us hear the end of this, _she joked, a wheezing cross between a laugh and cough leaving her body.

_No, I don't imagine she will._

Hazard and Streak were across the street, both with blood-smeared armor and having a private conversation through their helmets' comms.

"Think we'll see Strook at the end of this?" Hazard asked. Strook had been their former squad mate, killed during a droid ambush. He'd had an exceedingly goofy side to him. In short, he was a great soldier masquerading as a fool and always the one to keep their squad in good spirits. Losing him was the hardest thing they'd ever endured.

"Yeah, I think he'll be there, waiting to slip on another screw to make us laugh." Streak panted.

"Knowing him, he'll make it as painful as possible for himself, just to make it funnier."

"That sounds about right." They made attempts at laughter, but couldn't quite manage and only made hacking noises.

* * *

ONE DAY EARLIER

"Tail, Streak, Hazard, we need to get those mortars placed. Scouts just reported incoming droids." Twitch said casually, grabbing her claimed electrostaff. She had taken a fancy to fighting with one and managed to sneak the weapon away from Talus' unofficial research site.

The Twi'lek had stubbornly refused anyone access to anything from the field of the first droid defeat, so she had had to take the staff in the dead of night.

"Fighting with a droid's weapon. You're either extremely ironic or very unsentimental." Hazard muttered.

"Both. It's a good weapon. Just because it came from a magnaguard's hands doesn't mean it's any less useful for knocking a clanker's head off." She replied.

"Where are you going?" Niffu asked.

"Some droids are coming. We're just going to scare them off, then we'll be back."

"But you can't leave us alone here! What if Gondo comes?" Gunther shouted.

"If he comes," Twitch said, taking something out of a pouch on her belt, "then you take this, press the round button, and tell me. Press the button again so I can reply, understand?" She asked, handing him a com link.

"Yes." The young Twi'lek replied bravely.

"Good. K'oyacyi."

* * *

The droid onslaught was merciless and unending. For every felled droid, three would take its place. It seemed that all the remaining Separatist troops were attacking in a final attempt at defeating the clones and storming the town.

Hazard had gone through an entire tibanna gas cartridge from his position far above the droids on a spire made of huge copper cogs. Streak was bleeding from a grazing shot a droid had managed to land on his leg, Tail had yet to be injured, though he was exhausted.

Twitch was in the thick of it, spinning her electrostaff with arm-blades unsheathed and a ferocious expression plastered on her face. She was experiencing one of the more useful states of mind that soldiers could slip into; one of pure focus and enhanced reflexes. Nothing slowed down or became thoroughly wearying, but all events did fall into perfect sync.

When anything from a laser bolt to an electrostaff to a vobro sword came her way, she deflected or countered it with ease and moved on to the next enemy, sometimes attacking multiple droids at once.

The siege had started around late afternoon, and it was almost dawn at current time, and though their adrenaline rushes had dissipated, a trickle of it continued to aid the soldiers, and the natural alertness they always succumbed to during fights protected them from death.

There was no speech between the commandos; the hauntingly strange ability to sense their comrade's thoughts that clones possessed invalidated that form of communication.

* * *

"Whoa…" Niffu breathed. She was standing on a crate she and Gunther had dragged to a window. They had been watching the fighting for hours, sometimes cheering to ears that were at a distance too great to hear, and sometimes standing in absolute silence as they watched Tail, Hazard, and Streak's impressive shooting, or Twitch's swift, acrobatic close range attacks.

"They've not rested for so long. Aren't they tired?" Niffu asked.

"Gunther, I'm scared." Hanza tearfully whimpered. Her brother hopped down to scoop the little girl into his arms.

"It's okay. Twitch and Streak are protecting us. They won't let anything bad happen." He promised.

* * *

PRESENT TIME

"I always took you clones for fools, but I must say, you three impressed me. Especially you, Tail." Gondo cackled.

"Touch him, and I swear, you won't live to see the sun reach its zenith." Twitch threatened.

"Yes, I never understood your liking for your current company. They may allot some amount of entertainment, but in the end, you are far superior to them, in mind and skill. Why don't you join me, and we can teach them what the penalty for resisting superior beings is.

"They don't assume superiority, or pretend to be any better than the people they are around, they don't try to claim reward for all that they've done, which makes them superior to you in every way. Most importantly, they're my brothers, so save your breath and kill me now."

"Touching. Really, I'm all choked up."

* * *

TWO HOURS EARLIER (ONE HOUR AFTER LAST BACKTRACK)

The tide of droids was finally ebbing. The commandos could sense it. The enemy ranks were thinner; Twitch had to move more to reach her next target, the older clones' gun barrels had to be turned greater distances.

It took them another hour and half to end it, and by then their limbs were shaking, their wounds and aches were prominent in their exhausted minds, and all that came to the fronts of their thoughts when the four pondered what they wanted was sleep.

Twitch sat down right where she was, putting her electrostaff horizontally over her crossed legs.

Tail walked slowly over pieces of droids, crushed, sliced off, or otherwise damaged, tripping near his sister and doing nothing to regain balance. He simply caught himself on the ground before lying down.

"Okay, I'll just sleep here, then." He mumbled.

Hazard meandered back to ground level and met with Streak next to their squad mates, all either sitting or lying, ignoring the bits of metal beneath them.

_CLANK_.

The four clones shot to their feet, guns in hands as a huge, copper-tinted machine stomped down the street. It was massive, standing over ten feet tall, covered in inch-and-a-half spikes, and resembling a gigantic human, except for the head, which was more cylinder-shaped with an opening where a face would usually be.

**(Destroyer from Thor)**

"New type of tinnie?" Hazard asked.

"Looks like. Let's hope it isn't as bad as that one on Terrisk."Streak muttered.

A fiery, wide beam of energy shot from the droid's mouth, hitting the ground between Hazard's feet. The sniper flew back to the edge of the street with a shout of alarm and pain, landing limply, unconscious.

Twitch's reflexes took hold and she hurled her electrostaff like a spear into the opening. The dangerous machine staggered back, then gripped the weapon and yanked it out. A deep, booming laugh came from it, infuriating and worrying the soldiers.

Streak shot into the mouth, only getting them more laughter.

"Fek this." Twitch growled, charging their new opponent. She ducked under a swinging arm as her blades slid out and threw her forearm into the thing's side. It's outer layer was only slightly penetrated, and she had to maneuver desperately to avoid the spiked limbs whose only purposes seemed to be smashing her.

_Kriff, kriff, kriff, _she mentally chanted, _that didn't work!_

_What do we have to do to hurt that thing? _Tail asked. Shooting the droid's chest had no more affect than anywhere else.

_I think a lightsaber might do it, but unless you happen to have one of the Generals packed away in your utility belt, we'll have to come up with something else._

"All mortars, concentrate fire on the clanker. Bring him down!" Streak ordered over the comm system they had established with the townsfolk.

Fire and shrapnel surrounded the machine, pieces of smaller Separatist troops adding to the onslaught, the commandos shot, and Twitch even threw one of her grenades into the mix. When the smoke cleared, the droid still stood, burn marks and a few tears visible, but it seemed to still be functional.

"You're kidding me. What, do we have to drop a Zillo Beast on it?!" Twitch snapped, vaulting off her retrieved electrostaff onto the droid's shoulders to repeatedly hack at its neck. The soles of her feet heated up quickly, until she had to jump down in fear of her boots melting from the hot metal.

"Unless you have one in one of your belt pouches…" Tail quipped.

"Shouldn't you be checking on Hazard?" Streak snapped.

While his squad mates distracted the droid, the medic ran to Hazard and began checking for damage. The machine moved its head to aim at them.

"Tail, get out of there!" Twitch screeched, sprinting to help her brother move Hazard.

_Too late, _she realized, and turned to face the droid.

It fired, just as the teenager crossed her arms and blocked its path. The beam hit her full on, sending the girl off her feet and a couple yards away from her original position.

_Twitch, it showed far more intelligence than most droids. It completely ignored you and Streak and went after us, _Tail said.

_Yeah, your point? _She winced as she got up. The landing had been anything but gentle.

_Maybe someone is controlling it?_

_Ask our mechanic that. The only advice you're getting from me right now is 'blow it up'._

* * *

PRESENT TIME

Ever since Tail suggested it, the squad should have known that the droid was remotely controlled. The owner being Gondo also shouldn't have caused much surprise. The traitor had revealed himself the moment all the clones were disabled.

Streak had been backhanded by the droid across his chest, knocking him next to his brother, who had been kicked when he attempted close range combat on regaining consciousness. Twitch had been swatted like a fly on her third try at beheading their foe, and Tail, distracted by his sister's injury, was punched in the stomach, tossing him over twenty feet to Twitch's side.

This had all happened in quick succession; a last-ditch effort on the commandos' parts to win the battle.

Finally, Twitch formed another thought.

_Tail…I-I don't want to die here._

Admitting a fear of death was one of the taboos among clones, even if the emotion couldn't be eradicated. Admitting this fear carried a deep meaning, one that said, '_I trust you enough to share this'_. It was a rarely shared gift.

_Me too. Don't worry, okay? At least we took a couple platoons of tinnies with us. _

_Yeah, at least we did that. I don't want you three to die, either, though. Wait, the kids!_

Twitch managed to activate her comm. "Gunther, listen carefully, because you only have one chance. Take your sisters and run while Gondo is busy with us. Run, and don't look back, okay?" She whispered.

"Wh-what about you?" He whimpered.

"We aren't walking away from this one, buddy. You need to run, now."

"Twitch, I'm scared." She froze, because she remembered those words. She was sure no one else had seen it, but the day Aris, her adopted little sister, was murdered, she had noticed a smaller note carved into the child's arms, one that said _"in case you were wondering, her last words were 'Twitch, I'm scared'."_

"I know, Gunther. Being scared is part of life. Fear will always be there to haunt you, but it's a type of beast. You can fight it, just like we fight droids. Now, I need you to fight your fear off and get Niffu and Hanza away from here. Can you do that?"

"Yes."

"Good. You can make it." She ended the transmission and glared at Gondo, who was mockingly tapping Hazard's helmet.

With little warning, a blue laser bolt hit the mechanic, going through his temple. It was a clean kill.

The clones simultaneously looked to see a cloaked figure on one of the towers. The person didn't seem to be very tall, but Twitch knew that glint under the hood, even from such a distance. Golden eyes.

* * *

_A.N. ~ have fun wondering about that. I need to go do other stuff, now. *Troll face*_


	25. Gifts

_A.N. ~ hey, guess what? This chapter, added to all the others in my 'Sea of Faces' series, make 100 chapters! That being said, and I am smiling as I write this, I hope you enjoy the 100th chapter of the series! _

_Also, I've noticed that some of you seem to have misunderstood the last chapter, so I'll just clarify now, Hazard is NOT dead. He is alive, if sore, but no one in my OC squad is dead at present time._

* * *

Twitch and the other clones had been transported to a hospital, and put on anesthetics part way there, thus causing a fair amount of confusion when they woke up in strange surroundings

They all had broken ribs, along with breaks and bruises in plenty of other places, scratches, aches, but there wouldn't be any permanent damage.

Gunther, Niffu, and Hanza had visited the commandos, explaining that by the time they were ready to leave, Gondo was dead. That had earned Gunther a raised eyebrow from Twitch, but no rebuke.

Hanza had sat on the foot of Streak's hospital bed as soon as she could, looking at all the medical equipment curiously, as though wondering if she could open it up and take it apart.

Niffu was going back and forth from Hazard's to Tail's to Twitch's rooms, continuously checking in on them to see if she could get them any food, or water, or another blanket, or a softer pillow, or to turn the holoprojector on, or to turn it off, or to help in any way conceivable. Tail finally sent her to get him a glass of water, just for a moment's peace.

Gunther just sat quietly in Twitch's room, occasionally stepping out to check on his siblings before returning to the large chair that was much too big for anyone his size.

Eventually, Hanza fell asleep, lying on the mattress between Streak's torso and arm, Gunther dozed off in his king-sized chair, and Niffu lay draped halfway on a stool in Hazard's room.

_Finally, some peace and quiet, _Tail commented.

_I'm amazed how much energy they have. If we hooked them up to a generator, they could power half of Coruscant, _Twitch joked.

_Hanza seems to like Streak. It's like mechanics are drawn to each other._

_Probably have too much magnetic dust on them._

_Probably._

* * *

Talus hadn't left Gondo's droid alone. He was poking, prodding, taking samples, doing anything and everything he could think of to study it.

Twitch, in all her grace in injury, had tried getting an electrostaff off the second battlefield, but ended up tripping and falling painfully into a pile of B1 parts. The clanging drew the Twi'lek instantly, and after he had helped the injured girl out of the area, Talus proceeded to give her a twenty-minute-long lecture on stealing, and touching other peoples' property without permission, and how she shouldn't have even been up and about with a broken arm and healing ribs.

By the time he'd warned her off (after quizzing the soldier on all that he had just said, to be sure she had listened), Twitch was thoroughly exasperated.

_Honestly, there are several staffs for him to choose from! What's one less? _She asked Tail.

_Well, even by my standards, you weren't very quiet. Awfully sneaky when hurt, aren't you?_

_My arm is broken! How do you expect me to land quietly?_

_Excuses, excuses._

_Rrrgh._

When he wanted to, Tail knew exactly how to push Twitch's buttons, and it was very amusing for him when he did.

However, despite the seemingly high spirits of the clones, Twitch was preoccupied with her own thoughts; ones she kept hidden even from Tail. Golden eyes weren't extremely rare, but they were unique, nonetheless.

Who had saved them from Gondo? Had it not been for their injuries, the young soldier would have pursued the figure, but she couldn't, and a continuous sense of curiosity and suspicion nagged at the back of her mind.

The mysterious person's size, their eye color, and maybe most noticeable, their shooting skill. One clean, precise shot that could have had no purpose except to kill, that was fired silently, through a powerful weapon with long range that wouldn't be something you could find simply lying around.

* * *

Several more days passed. The soldiers, despite their injuries, patrolled the town's perimeter and the surrounding territory in search of any surviving droids. Talus eventually managed to convince Gunther, Hanza, and Niffu that he was friendly, with the help of his wife, and the couple adopted the orphans.

Twitch would have done some poking around in the factory, had her arm not been put in a sling, because she didn't trust the workers to honestly say what it was the droids were after, but under current circumstances, she had little choice but to pull Gondo's replacement aside and ask her.

"It is nothing to concern yourself with." The woman was human, tall, with auburn hair that she had pulled back into a tight, messy ponytail. The common dark eyes that most of the occupants had were present in her features.

"My squad nearly got wiped out by a maniac and his droid." _Not to say that doesn't sum up the war in general; a maniac and his droid army._ "The Separatists would never send so many troops for some knick knack. What. Are. We. Defending?" Each of the final four words were punctuated by footsteps as Twitch got in the woman's face.

The teenager was several inches shorter, so she had to tilt back her head to keep eye contact, but the anger she was transmitting was almost palpable, especially since the two were so close together. Less than an inch separated them.

"You were fighting it. There's a kind of ore in this planet that is extremely strong. Nothing as powerful as cortosis, but you saw for yourself how tough it is."

"Are you insane? What were you thinking? Republic casualty rates would skyrocket if the Separatists got ahold of the schematics for one of those! Dooku would invade Adion full force for what you have." Twitch hissed.

"We meant it as a defense! _Against_ threats like Separatists!" The woman said, backing up with wide eyes.

"How many more do you have?" The teenager sighed, trying to cool off.

"That was the only complete prototype we had. All the others are only partially finished."

"Get rid of them. Turn the ore you have into something else, I don't care what, but do not make another one like Gondo's." The worker nodded quickly, now looking scared, but Twitch caught her arm as she started to leave. The soldier's voice softened considerably.

"I do not mean this as a threat, and I don't want to scare you. I'm trying to help you. I don't want to see the Separatists hurt anyone here because of this." She received a nod before the engineer left.

* * *

The three male clones, by the time an all clear for Adion was given, were out of any casts and well on their way to full recovery. Twitch was a couple steps behind them, being somewhat bacta-resistant, but she was also on the mend.

Talus and his wife had invited the commandos for dinner, and after much insisting; _'we'd hate to impose'_, _'it's really no bother, we want to thank you'_, et cetera, they had agreed.

Now, with a ship two days off from picking them up, the soldiers were pleasantly surprised by the townspeople, who had come up with gifts as a thank you.

"It's tradition for us to give all who help us gifts." Talus had explained, presenting Twitch with a long black cloak that reached her ankles, and, to her delight, a sturdy electrostaff comprised of the same material which Gondo's droid was.

She grinned, suddenly understanding why he had refused to let her take anything of the droids', and why he'd ensured she wouldn't try again at the risk of another long lecture.

The cloak, she found, was light and easy to move out of her arms' ways. It became shorter near her elbows, smoothly forming, if spread out, a triangle.

"What are these for?" She asked, noticing loops of black leather hidden near the two higher tips, easily accessible to her hands.

"Grab them and give 'em a squeeze." Talus urged, backing out of her way. Twitch did so, pressing on pressure pads almost invisible to the naked eye, and was startled as the fabric became erect, spreading out so her arms stretched with it. Her cloak could become a wingsuit.

One much larger band of leather was on the lower tip, but hung loosely against the garment. The girl would eventually find that when she took off, while the thinner material would lift up, the leather would stay down for her feet to go in, meant for maneuvering or long journeys.

"With some practice, you'll be able to stay aloft for a long time, if you handle it right, and you just have to loosen your grip a bit to fold in on either side." The teenager experimented with her right hand and found his words true.

"Wow. This is amazing, Talus. Thank you so much." She murmured.

"Not at all! I've been meaning to make something like this for a long time."

"Well, you've got an eager test flyer." She grinned.

* * *

Tail had received some modifications to his gun; it now slowly recharged for infinite ammo, much like his weapon's smaller cousin, the DC-15s side arm blaster. The scout had always liked the feature, but not the gun design, so the locals doing that for him was a much-appreciated present.

Streak's mechanical arm was upgraded, giving it more strength, better durability, and more speed.

Hazard's gun was also upgraded so it took much longer to overheat, had better distance, and was easier to handle. In fact, all their guns were modified thusly, and all given the unending ammo ability.

One thing that definitely caught their attention was the large container of mini chocolate cupcakes.

_We should help them out more often, _Twitch joked.

_Heh, I think the tradition would end sometime after round three, _Tail predicted.

_We should hope so. Taking advantage of civilian's good will isn't a great thing…_

_See, you don't need parents. You raise yourself. _

_Eh, Rex and Kix covered the parenting part for a while. Anyways, you're going to be shooting a lot more now, what with infinite ammo._

_Yeah, much easier than stopping in the middle of firefights to pop things in and out of our guns._

"Ow!" Twitch yelped. She was getting used to her new found gliding abilities, but was still working on steering. She'd collided with a tower of cogs. The structures were everywhere, but they seemed to serve no purpose.

_Flight is not your forte,_ her brother commented.

_It's a work in progress. I suppose you could do better?_

_Not short enough. I couldn't fit in that wingsuit._

_I'll make sure to land on top of you for that. _

Twitch was mainly using her right arm, since her left was quite fragile and tender, barely out of its cast. That likely accounted for her inability to fly.

_Assuming you can aim well enough to do that?_

_Yes, assuming that. _

* * *

Gunther, Hanza, and Niffu had said goodbye to the soldiers with hugs and questions like _'do you _have _to go?', _or insistence that there _had_ to be another way other than leaving.

The clones took it in good humor and gently explained that they might come back eventually. They boarded their transport with certain amounts of regret regarding their departure.

For a good deal of the ride, Twitch practiced with her new electrostaff while the others either slept, cleaned their equipment, or found something else to do. The four broke into their cupcakes partway back, having one each.

The fluffy icing melted on their tongues shortly before their teeth sank into moist, chocolaty goodness. In short, the pastries were delicious.

When the ship was three quarters of the way back to Naboo, Twitch stopped in her mock battle to sleep.

* * *

Whoever was poking Twitch's face, she decided, had five seconds to stop before she gave them a royal dressing down.

_I'll keep that in mind, but we just landed. Unless you want to nap in here, you should be getting up, _Tail said.

_Meh, I'm coming._

The teenager slowly sat up, running a hand over her head and blinking slowly. Sleep crusted her eyelids and her hair was all swept to one side.

She grabbed her electrostaff before following her brothers out. The grey sky predicted rain, and a chilly wind bit at the commandos as they hurried inside. Their quarters were just as they left them; neat, organized, orderly.

The older clones took off their armor, and by the time they looked up to ask Twitch to turn her back so they could change, she was gone.

"Is she always going to do that?" Streak asked, glowering as he grabbed his leisure clothes.

"Probably. You'd best get used to it." Tail suggested.

_I certainly have._

* * *

Twitch, after a few interesting trips to rooftops in order to see if they had company through windows, knocked on the door of Tsudek and Saundra Lynn's house. The wail of a baby was hushed by someone before a large man opened the door.

Rain had begun to fall several minutes earlier, so he ushered the soldier inside quickly, giving her a hug after she hung her cloak on a rack.

"You really should call before coming. Saundra could have made you dinner!" He chided.

"You don't have to do that. I just dropped by to say hello." Twitch replied, taking off her boots and following Tsudek into a cozy den.

Saundra, who was sitting on a couch, Jessie in her arms, smiled broadly and made room for the two.

"Short visit or not, we're always glad to have you." The mother said, having overheard the conversation.

"And I'm always glad to be here. How are you two?"

"Doing well. Jessie is starting to pick up on Basic." Mrs. Lynn bounced her child up and down, getting a short, screeching laugh in turn.

Tsudek bumped into the teenager's arm, drawing out a short hiss. He gently, firmly grabbed her wrist and pulled Twitch's left arm out to examine it, raising an eyebrow at her.

"And what happened here?" He asked.

"The job. Just landed badly, that's all." She assured.

"It was broken." He stated.

"Landed on metal?" She tried.

"You've got to be more careful. Maybe the Jedi could have you working off the battlefield, doing other things." Saundra fretted.

"What would I do?" Twitch challenged, instantly rejecting the idea.

"I don't know, help with the wounded, perhaps?"

"I'm no medic, Saundra, and I wouldn't stay out of action like that. It's okay. I can handle this. It was only a broken arm."

_And broken ribs, and a near-death experience, _Tail reminded.

_Oi! Out of my head!_ She growled.

_A little touchy, are we? _He teased.

_Out. Of. My. Head, _the girl ordered. She could tell her brother was trying not to laugh as he cut their link.

"Well, we can't stop you, but we can try." Tsudek said.

"I'm afraid you'd be wasting your breath. There's no way I'd leave the war, especially now that it's in full swing." Twitch persisted.

_Can I just say one thing? _Tail interrupted.

_Dare I ask?_

_You're awfully young for war, even though you can fight better than most troops, and you've been through a lot. Maybe you should think about this._

_Not you, too. Look, there is nothing you or anyone can say that will make me leave. I'm not abandoning you or our squad. Do not bring this up again, Tail._

That warned him off for a while. Once the topic of desertion had left the table, Twitch told her friends about her recent adventures, downplaying the danger levels of it as much as she could, leaving out entire sections at other times.

By the time Twitch left for the Military District, the sun had long since set.

Just as she entered an alleyway, blending into its dark shadows, someone grabbed her shoulders and pressed her against a wall.

"We need to talk." He said.

* * *

_A.N. ~ now I really want a chocolate cupcake. Sorry about the cliffhanger, but it's just something you lot will have to accept as part of my writing style._


	26. Ruffled Feathers

_A.N. ~ so, this chapter is at least a respectable length, and I left off on a cliffhanger yesterday, so I hope this makes up for it :) Now, let's see who's insane enough to startle Twitch._

* * *

Twitch spun her right arm like a clock hand, encompassing the person's arms in her elbow's quickly tightening crook. She then stampeded to his right, unbalancing her uninvited conversation partner until he fell back, out of the alleyway and into the view of a street light.

His hood shifted to reveal a pale bald head and dark brown eyes.

"Darys, wh-" Twitch released a quick breath of tension. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." He grunted, getting up with a wince. "Your reflexes definitely haven't dulled."

"They'll dull when I'm dead. You're hurt?" She gently moved the Umbaran's chin to look at a sizeable burn scrape on his neck.

"Just a scratch. Look, there's an issue I need help with, and I didn't know who else to go to." The girl sighed, putting a hand on her hip.

"You're a long way from home, so I assume this is important."

"Very. Very, very important. The Separatists are setting up a base in my city. The mayor agreed to let them do it because he doesn't agree with the Republic. They had curfew, patrols so no one could leave the city, took over our communications…I barely got out of there in one piece!" Twitch noticed he was favoring his right leg.

"Okay, come with me."

* * *

"Didn't think you'd be bringing boys home anytime soon." Hazard teased while Tail tended to Darys' wounds. Twitch elbowed him in the stomach sharply, getting a pained yelp as payment for the joke.

Her arms had remained crossed ever since she had arrived with the Umbaran in tow, one of the only signs of her rising anxiety.

_What's got your feathers so ruffled? _Tail, not one to miss things like this, asked.

_Umbara was hell the first time around, and it took two more trips for me to see the locals as anything but a hostile force. Now I actually don't want them to be in trouble, _she mumbled. A slightly less impersonal though flitted through her mind, only lasting for a splintered second, but lingering too long for the scout to not notice.

_Uh-huh. Aaand what about this _particular_ local?_

Twitch's mind betrayed her for a few unfortunate moments, replaying the incident during her third time on Umbara, when Darys had indulged in a kind of mating ritual to determine whether he wanted her as his mate or not.

_Ohhh, I see, _Tail said with a mischievous mental grin.

_See what?! He did it without my permission. It was a completely one-sided relationship! _Twitch protested.

_I don't remember bringing up anything about _relationships_,_ he pointed out.

_Just leave it alone, _his sister ordered, looking down sharply. Unfortunately, this action occurred just as Darys tried to lock eyes with her, making the Umbaran look at the door with a crestfallen expression.

_I see the feeling is mutual, _Tail persisted.

_Not listening to you, _she snapped.

_There you go again! Every time you have a relationship with anyone outside the GAR, you block me out or push me away! I don't even know _where _you go whenever we're here, or who you're with. It's like you don't trust me!_

_I _do _trust you, Tail, but there are some things you just have to accept that I don't want to share. Especially relationships that even _I _don't understand. _She glared at her brother, getting a hard stare in reply.

"You two have _got _to be having a conversation." Hazard interrupted.

"Like I said; we're—"

"Telepaths, right. And I'm a test pilot, and Streak here is a platypus." The sniper cut off. His brother-by-choice swatted the back of his head.

"Are they always like this?" Darys asked quietly.

"Get used to it." Twitch sighed, sidestepping Streak and Hazard, who were locked in a wrestling match.

"That should do it. Heaven help me if you're anything like Twitch, but take it easy." Tail said, packing up his med kit.

"I will. Thank you." The Umbaran promised.

"Hmm. Well, now that that's taken care of, anyone care to explain?" The medic demanded.

Twitch stuck her foot out, angling it so that the roughhousing pair, who were already unbalanced, tripped and fell over.

"Yes. Apparently, the Separatists are building a base in Darys' city, and are putting a lot of effort into keeping it quiet. He came here, looking for help."

"Any idea what the base is for?" Streak queried, getting up with minimal dignity beside Hazard.

"No. We couldn't get near it. They had a perimeter around it using ray shields." Darys still had a somewhat upset expression on his face.

Twitch noticed how skinny he was, which brought more questions to mind.

"How long ago did this happen?" She murmured.

"Four weeks."

"I think we best be talking to a general about this." Tail decided.

* * *

Thankfully, Kit Fisto and his battalion, the 309th, were on Naboo at the time, and though Twitch didn't know any of his men, she trusted the Nautolan Jedi.

Having not heard from the young clone in quite a while, Fisto was happy to be able to speak with her, though he was confused about the request she had as to the location of where to meet.

They were in an alleyway in Jungo District, and waiting in that alley was a person wearing a black cloak with the hood, up, concealing their face.

"Twitch. It is nice seeing you again, but I'm not so sure about the scenery." Kit joked, drawing the figure's attention. Twitch dropped down from a roof, getting a curious look from the Jedi.

"Sorry about the location, sir, but I thought this matter should be kept quiet." Darys moved the hood of Twitch's cloak off his head, which set the Nautolan's arms into a cross that many parents had, usually when around misbehaving children.

In order to get Darys out of the Military District discretely, Twitch had him wear her cloak, while she slipped out through the vents.

"I'm listening."

* * *

"You were right to come, Darys. This is certainly an issue worth investigating." Fisto said, stroking his chin with one hand while the other held his elbow. A very Kenobi-like pose. "I will speak with the Council right away. For now, Twitch will show you around the Military District and get you something to eat." The girl saluted, then led Darys away.

She took back her cloak, stating he wouldn't be needing it now that he had a general's permission to be inside the Military District.

"You are still angry about the mating ritual I attempted." He stated as they walked.

"No! No, I'm not." She promised quickly, a slight blush covering her cheeks. "I'm sorry for how cold I've been. I'm just getting over our last mission."

"What happened?" She glanced at the Umbaran; no longer a confused boy who misunderstands other's standards, but a teenager already with a much deeper voice and less pudgy features with a few more inches to his height. Her face warmed up when she noticed he had also become better muscled, though she wasn't sure why.

"It was just a little unsettling. Some maniac and his weapon nearly got us killed. Nothing too out of the ordinary by now, seeing as Dooku's still leading the Seps." The older teenager snorted in amusement at that.

"Well, I'm glad you four are okay. Not shinies anymore, are they?" He asked, leaning down slightly, putting his face closer to her own.

"This is a bit different from my first squad. I was transferred. Tail and I are the only original members of Pyro Squad here, actually. I really don't know that much about Streak and Hazard's past." She flustered, hoping he wouldn't notice the tinge of color on her face.

_Twitch, there's a kind of weird feeling coming from you, _Tail noted.

_I know. I don't know what it is. Just ignore it, _she pleaded.

_You _sure_ you don't? _His tone had changed a good deal, becoming more suggestive, with a higher lilt that leaned toward mockery of some sort.

_No! _She blocked him out after that, trying to ignore the tingling sensation in her stomach.

"Hmm, well, you seem to get along with them well enough."

"They can be di'kutla at times, I'm mostly referring to Hazard, but they're good men."

"Glad to hear. Are you still the sergeant?"

"In this squad, we're all equals. Nobody's really in charge except the higher-ups."

"I see. Well, it is a relief that you are alive." There was that tingly feeling again, distracting Twitch from where she was walking and making her wonder why she was being so easily distracted.

"The feeling is mutual. Anyways, I take it you want to eat something before I show you around?" Darys nodded.

* * *

The usual number of stares that Twitch generally received in the Mess Hall greatly increased, since she was trailing an Umbaran and wearing a black cloak.

"It's a good thing the 501st and 212th aren't on leave. You may have done nothing to them, but Krell and the First Battle of Umbara isn't going to be forgotten anytime soon." Twitch murmured as they ate, mostly thinking aloud.

"Almost three years hasn't dulled the sting?" Darys guessed.

"What Krell did was far worse than most of what's happened during the wars. Setting up brothers to kill each other? That's one of the worst things you can do to us." She replied, no longer hungry.

"I see."

"This isn't a dating center." A clone said, standing behind Darys. Twitch studied his face, instantly recognizing the sneer that always accompanied his jibes.

"And this isn't a high school, Ticks. You know that us being opposite genders has nothing to do with dating." Ticks smirked at her testy response.

"Still in one piece, huh, kid?" His tone had been condescending at best. By then, it was a playful rivalry between the two, but still a rivalry.

"One piece and still fighting. I'm surprised you're not dead yet, what with being too busy joking to dodge bolts." They grinned at each other, no more insulted and no less friendly.

"I don't need to dodge; the clankers can't shoot straight anyways."

"For once we're in agreement. Still with the 659th?"

"Yes, and you're with the 501st?"

"Well, _no_—"

"She's technically not in any battalion at the moment." Tail interrupted, having snuck up behind Ticks and wearing a glare that could stop a charging acklay in its tracks. Darys was still eating, more focused on filling his stomach than worrying about rude troopers.

"Um, r-right." Ticks mumbled, ducking his head before leaving.

"Aw, you scared him off!" Twitch complained as her brother sat to her right.

"He didn't seem too friendly."

"Just a thing. We never go a conversation without arguing. It's universal law." She replied dismissively.

"Right, right."

_Well, how's the kid? _The scout asked.

_Older than I am, actually. Age aside, I don't think he's had much to eat lately. Probably got here illegally._ Once again, she began remembering something from before she had met her close brother, when she was a rogue who jumped from planet to planet, stowing away on ships for transport.

_Two of a kind, aren't you? _The scout asked drily.

_Not at all. He isn't a ninja and isn't even human, and we don't even get along that well, s_he protested.

_Easy, short stuff, just a 'no' would've done it. He really gets under your skin, huh?_

_Does not! _

_Riigght. _

_Why do you like teasing me about this? I only knew him for a few karkin' days!_

_Because it's so easy. I can't remember the last time you've had such a hard time keeping a level head._

_WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!_

Mental laughter filled their link and it took Twitch all her self-control not to kick her brother, or even look at him.

_You're shouting with no logical basis for it. Think about it._

_I really need to punch you for this._

_That's incentive enough to run. If it's really bugging you, I'll stop._

_Thank you._

* * *

_A.N_. ~_ well, now, that wasn't so bad, was it? Didn't leave off on much of a cliffhanger, huh? _

_Anyways, just something **IMPORTANT**. I'm considering a bit of pairing with Twitch and Darys later on, so let me know what you think and I'll go from there. I know how it feels when an author indulges in romance without his/her readers' consent, so give a yes or no and things will be written either one way or the other. If you are against pairing, SAY SO! If not, SAY THAT, TOO. _

_Their relationship, if you lot choose pairing, will mainly be more fluff and teenage romance than a serious adult relationship, but that doesn't make it invalid. Just keep in mind that Twitch is 15 and Darys is 16._

_Okay, with that all said, Angel out._


	27. Golden Eyes

_A.N. ~ hey! So, this is the last chapter for the third story of this series, buuut, I _will_ be posting the fourth as soon as I get the first chapter of it written! Now, please enjoy the last chapter in Happily Ever Afters Don't Exist!_

* * *

Darys, once fed, politely paid attention as Twitch gave him a short tour around the labyrinthine Military District. She had thankfully not received any new taunts from Tail, though the looks any passing troopers gave them left something to be desired.

Finally, the next time a wayward look came their way, Twitch glared full force at the trooper, who quickly moved on.

"I see that scowl of yours hasn't withered." Darys grinned, making Twitch look down with a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks. She really had to stop doing that. It was just a comment. A simple, simple comment.

"There's no shortage of di'kute in the universe to practice it on." She replied, looking up to meet his eyes. They were brown, like her brothers', but a darker shade, giving them an almost deeper appearance.

"Which language is that?" The Umbaran murmured.

"Mando'a. It's pretty common around here."

"What made you choose to learn it?"

"Not quite sure. A lot of things, I guess. Most of the other soldiers know it, but it's kinda fun speaking in two different languages. You would know." He nodded, looking somewhat preoccupied. "And I know that look. What's bothering you?"

"I'm worried for my mother. She is old, and has never been good at keeping track of time. If she stays out too late, I fear she won't be able to run home in time."

"Do you have siblings that might care for her?" Twitch asked.

"I'm the youngest of three children. My sisters had both already left my city before the droids came. My father passed away some years ago, so she is alone." The girl put a hand on Darys' shoulder, surprising him, since she was usually so strict about physical contact.

"If she's anything like you, she will be there when you get back." Her hand started to move away, but the Umbaran snatched it into his own.

"Thank you." He said, just before letting her go.

* * *

"Oh, no." Tail gulped.

"What?" Twitch sat next to him as he removed his helmet.

"Order 66." The teenager wasn't sure why, but those simple words sent a tingle of dread down her spine.

"Tail, what's that?" She asked slowly.

"A kind of failsafe, in case the Jedi turn traitor, and it was just issued."

"And what is the order?"

"Kill the Jedi."

"What?!" She demanded. "That's it? Just 'kill the Jedi'? Even Pong Krell was captured and questioned before he was executed!"

Tail didn't reply. He had a faraway look that meant he was lost in his thoughts, too far to be reached.

* * *

Plo Koon noticed the sudden silence in the comms of his pilots. He glanced out the window of his Starfighter to see them shaking their heads, trying to stay focused.

"Booker, is everything alright?" He asked. No reply. The clones suddenly began firing on each other, and it didn't take the Kel Dor master long to realize that a large percentage of his troops were protecting him.

* * *

Stass Allie drove her speeder bike with the ease of practice, flanked by Commander Neyo, and a lieutenant she knew well by the name of Chain. Neyo, with no warning, fell back and opened fire. Chain angled his speeder and took the bolts, barely saving Allie's life while giving up his own. The remaining men in her patrol shot down their Commander, their loyalty to the Jedi clearly stronger than their training.

She had saved all their lives at some point, either through healing or battlefield heroics, once even getting shot to save a rookie, when her lightsaber wasn't in hand and no other options were available to protect him. Most of her troops simply could not believe she was a traitor.

* * *

On Felucia, Bly and his men received their orders, but hesitation gripped them all. Aayla Secura had never given any hint of traitorous intent, and had proved her loyalty time and again. A few troops; rookies who had served with the Twi'lek Jedi only for a short while during the first war, raised their guns with the intention of carrying out the act.

Several nearby men tackled their brothers, holding them down and disarming them swiftly through reflex of protection.

* * *

All over the galaxy, similar things were occurring. Ki-Adi-Mundi was spared, saved by his loyal friends. Obi-Wan Kenobi did not get shot at by Cody, who instead led his most seasoned men to detain the more trigger happy soldiers.

Commander Gree and his men did, in fact, not try to kill Yoda, though they were skeptical. Only their former experiences with Jedi spared unnecessary bloodshed on Kashyyyk.

Captain Keeli, whose first Jedi general, his friend, had died fighting Separatists, disregarded the order as quickly as it had come in. Transfers from the 501st and 212th that he had received in the first war also decided to ignore it, and turned on their brothers who had chosen to go through with it.

Keeli's group, all on leave on Naboo, banded with the loyal 309th soldiers and anyone they met who agreed the Jedi couldn't possibly be the traitors.

* * *

Hazard and Streak ran to the barracks, hurrying to meet their squad mates.

"Where do you two stand on this?" Twitch intercepted them at the door, before they could reach their guns.

"Tail explained?" Streak guessed.

"A bit. Where are you two on this?"

"We were in the 309th, served with General Fisto for a long time. He wouldn't betray us. Something here is wrong." Hazard said.

"Okay, who exactly has the authorization to issue Order 66?" She asked calmly, letting her brothers in. Tail was still locked in limbo on his bunk, warring between duty and his loyalty to the Republic and the Jedi.

"Only the Chancellor himself, but there has to be a mistake. The Jedi aren't traitors, and the Chancellor couldn't be a traitor…" The sniper mumbled.

"Oh, but I think someone in this whole mess is." The girl stated darkly. She swatted Tail's head, forcing her mind into his.

_Tail! You need to wake up, vod! The Jedi aren't traitors, and we both know it. WAKE UP!_

The scout blinked and looked at her slowly. "You're right. You were right. They aren't traitors."

"Glad to hear it, vod, but you need to get ready to—" A knock on the door caught their attention.

Darys hurried in, looking perplexed.

"There're a bunch of troops gathering around that Jedi we talked to. Something weird's going on." He reported.

"Are they attacking him?" Twitch checked.

"No. Actually, they saved him from some other men. What's happening?"

"Okay, good. A lot of our men aren't following the Order, either. Darys, you need to go to your quarters and stay put. I'll get you once this is over. Tail, Streak, Hazard, you three go find General Fisto and see what you can do to help."

"Thought you weren't a ma'am anymore." Tail weakly smiled. He was finally salvaging his stable personality.

"Got a better idea?" She smirked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, where are _you _going?" Hazard growled, already in the process of putting on his armor.

"Like I said. Someone is a traitor. I'm finding out who."

"I'll come with you." Darys offered.

"No. This is going to require stealth, and I'm fairly sure you don't know how to mask your Force signature."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Streak barked.

"Think about it. If the Jedi attacked the Chancellor or confronted him, he wouldn't have time to issue Order 66. His guards are no match for the generals, and I'm fairly sure they couldn't hold them off long enough for Palpatine to do much of anything."

"What exactly are you implying?" Hazard spat.

"Nothing, at the moment, but I don't know what I'll run into. Who knows? Maybe there are rogue Jedi. But I think that there's something worse at play here."

* * *

By the time Twitch had managed to get a view of the Chancellor's office through its massive windows, things didn't look so great. Mace Windu, Adi Gallia, and Eeth Koth were all fighting a cloaked Sith. Saesee Tiin lay on the floor, dead. The girl caught a glimpse of the Sith's face. It was wrinkled, ugly, but she recognized it. Palpatine was a traitor.

"Twitch to General Fisto." She hissed, watching the lightsabers form a deadly web of light inside the building.

"I'm here, Twitch. Report.

"Generals Windu, Koth, and Gallia are fighting Palpatine. He's a Sith, and a very powerful one at that. General Tiin is dead, from what I can tell." A heavy sigh came from the other end.

"Understood. I want you to get to a communications center and contact as many other Jedi as you can. Find out who's alive and who has fallen."

"Yes, sir." Twitch jumped off the tall building she was on, getting her feet into the leather loop and grabbing the ones for her hands.

She activated the wingsuit and pulled up just in time, ten feet above the street. She leaned up, allowing her momentum to carry her much higher. By the time she landed at the door of the GAR's main communications center, she was worried.

Inside, no guards were present, but a large holotable was.

* * *

"General Fisto, no Jedi were killed by their troops. Repeat, there were no Jedi casualties off planet." Twitch said, a relieved smile on her face.

"I am glad to hear that. Return to the Military District and wait for orders.

At the door, just as she got out, a large creature blocked Twitch's path. It was pale, with mechanical, spider-like legs and a metal tail that it held like a scorpion. The beast was huge, and she suddenly felt a strong urge to run.

**(Griever from The Maze Runner)**

"Oh, today is just wonderful." The teenager muttered.

A nexu, with no warning, tackled the monster. A cloaked person jumped off the feline and spread their fingers. Metal claws seemed to slide out of (surprise, surprise,) white gauntlets, and encompassed the person's fingers.

"It could be a lot worse." The rescuer, a female, said. "You could've had to fight this thing without me'n Claws." The two girls dove out of the tail's way, dodging metal limbs and the misshapen head that hosted a gaping mouth.

"You wouldn't happen have been on Adion recently?" Twitch grunted, flipping away from the angry creature.

"Never shoot and tell." The girl grinned. Her voice was exactly too familiar for the commando's liking.

"Thanks. I'm Twitch."

"I know. I've been tracking you for a while, now. Ever since you and your squad showed up on Terrisk and fought that weird skeleton droid."

"Who are you?" They both drew a pair of DC-17 blaster pistols each, beginning to shoot at the monster. The nexu, 'Claws', as the newcomer called it, was busy biting and slashing at the pale cyborg animal's back.

"You've already figured it out, haven't you?" The girl said, darting in to hack off a leg every now and then.

"Probably, Golden Eyes."

"Oh, you have, then. Good."

"Yes, but now I'm wondering how the fek you got a nexu from Adion to Naboo."

"Oh, don't get me started on that!" The tail swept in just as the stranger started to retreat, hitting her like a wrecking ball.

Claws roared in fury, biting deep into the monster's back and ripping out a massive chunk of flesh. Twitch shot the thing's head several times, finally killing it.

The nexu hopped down and nosed the girl, a high-pitched whine leaving its throat. Twitch slowly approached, a slightly guilty sense bugging her as she remembered the nexu she and Tail ate in the commando training holoroom.

"Easy, er…_Claws_. I need to see how badly she's hurt." The soldier said, now more concerned about how quickly a nexu could kill her than whether its name was really 'Claws' or not.

The animal allowed her to approach, the spines that most nexus had on their backs not present for this one.

As far as Twitch could tell, the girl had broken ribs, a concussion, and other internal injuries.

"She needs a medic." The commando stated, starting to pick up the wounded person. Claws growled and flicked his head towards a saddle on his back.

_Okay, that settles it. Nexus are far more intelligent and scary than anything that dangerous should be, _she decided, securing the other girl onto the predator's back. She slowly, tentatively got on as well.

"Do you understand me?"Twitch asked, feeling rather ridiculous. A snort that seemed to convey exasperation and a shake of Claw's head was the reply. "Okay, we need to get back to the Military District. I can show you the way there if—" The nexu took off without waiting to hear the end of it, seeming to already know the path.

* * *

"Medic!" Twitch called as Claws slid to a stop in front of a small group of clones.

"Twitch, what—" Tail started.

"I'll explain the nexu later. She needs medical attention _right now_." His sister interrupted, picking up the other girl and sliding to the ground. Claws growled as his owner was passed to Tail before rushed inside. Twitch followed, pausing at the doorway to look at Streak and Hazard.

"You two can keep an eye on Claws, here." They glanced at each other sharply, then looked back to see that their squad mate had already left. Then they peered at Claws, who just huffed, flicking his head at the soldiers as if to challenge them to touch him.

* * *

"She's stable. And familiar, don't you think?" Tail murmured.

"I know. This makes me wonder how many others like us are out there." Twitch sighed, crossing her arms. On a medical bed lay the girl, now wearing a patient garment.

"By now, probably a lot, if they're all like you and her." The two glanced at the injured person's face. She was fifteen, like Twitch, and they knew it. After all, she wore the same face.

* * *

_A.N. ~ dun, dun, dunnnn! Don't worry. New stories take a very short time to make. _

_Anyways, I would like to thank CaylithTheGolden, Kat2020, westwillz, KesseGirl1, NinjaBrony88891, ZabuzasGirl, gakupokamui2355, and any people who are not logged in/don't have an account, for reviewing, supporting, and helping. Thank you all so much. :)_


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